#on that note the manga is also worth reading for all the author notes and bonus doodles and art they are sooooo lovely

[uglygirlstatus]

Should i read ouran?

YES. assuming you’ve already watched the anime at some point absolutely Yes. I loved the anime when I was 15 and revisiting the series now all these years later by reading the manga definitely reawakened something in me. I really think it is a delightfully fun and absurd story with a lot of heart and a lot of love and a truly iconic ensemble cast. Like the main characters of course but also all the crazy side characters.

It’s also genuinely just extremely funny. I was laughing out loud throughout all the volumes, I think Bisco Hatori is a genius when it comes to comedic timing and character-specific comedy. Everyone is so stupid in uniquely funny ways and everyone loves each other so much. The anime catches up with the manga about halfway through and then it’s all new material about further character development and relationship development and future planning and I CRIED OK!!! Also even the stuff that is covered in the anime is a bit different in the manga, eg the Alice in Wonderland ep is waaay funnier in the manga imo

Here’s some online scans but honestly if your local library has copies I recommend reading those, I’m partial to the official translation. Or be crazy like me and buy the full box set on impulse at 2am

#I’m not sure if I’d make the same emphatic recommendation to someone who has not watched ouran #just bc ultimately it’s a mid 2000s manga and therefore has its fair share of bullshit #but honestly maybe I’m biased or something but it does feel progressive in a lot of ways at least gender/sexuality wise #like haruhi gender icon for sure #but also everyone is just sort of gay and everyone is just like fine with it #like I think a good summary is like a flashback to haruhi childhood and some kids are like *mean comment about haruhis gay dad* #and haruhi is just like I love my gay dad. #and the kids are like oh okay. work #there’s just a lot of love in the series. Hatori says in one of the author notes that she only satirizes & jokes about things she loves #and it shows! #on that note the manga is also worth reading for all the author notes and bonus doodles and art they are sooooo lovely #ask #ouran

[lgbtqfiction]

hello all!

i made this blog because i often see people pitching media on the basis of representation, or getting very excited about representation in media! personally, i've primarily been reading fiction with queer characters for a year or so— not avoiding stories without that, but simply interested in genres of media that have a ton of queer representation and people often ignore! thus, i wanted to make something organized by both genre and representation, that puts plot first but is an opportunity for people to enjoy queer-positive content!

anyone can submit, using the submissions box of this blog: here's a format, and the rules! also, please use the provided tags in the submissions box, so people using this blog can navigate by tag

q: can i submit something i wrote?

a: yes please, but it should be fairly polished, and either be finished or have a reliable updates schedule!

form is as such—

title

[IMAGE (optional)]

author (if relevant):

format:

premise:

tone & rating:

setting/genre:

representation (optional):

--- keep reading ---

other representation (optional):

disclaimers (if relevant):

more detailed version of the form, with rules, under the cut! please read those rules if it's your first time submitting!

put the title of whatever it is on top

[IMAGE (if you want)]

format: podcast, tv show, anime, manga, etc! include something about country of origin, if relevant (so good omens would be 'british tv show' and heaven official's blessing would be 'chinese novel'; but if it's set in the far future or a fantasy world and fully dubbed/translated in a variety of languages, no need to note it)

occasionally, there will be genres defined by queer representation, like danmei, BL, or yuri! feel free to include them in this section; or not, but in that case, please check the tags that specify those genres so people can sort by them if they want.

premise: keep this spoiler free! a few sentences about what the story is about, & its setting!

tone & rating: dark, gritty, tragic, dark comedy, rom-com, slice-of-life, etc. i've decided to break up 'genre' so that tone and setting words are different. as for rating, only include it if it's notable; for example, if a work has explicit sex scenes, add a note that says 'explicit' or '16+' . (depending on the level of detail).

setting/genre: setting-based genres like sci-fi, contemporary, urban fantasy, etc, with specifics up to the level of; "science fiction (far future)" "science fiction (near future)" or "cultivation fantasy" !

(note: for this blog, 'magical realism' is a genre popular in latin america, in which magical elements are made present in a realistic world usually to make an allegorical point or with a sense of hyper-real surrealism; 'urban fantasy' is a genre where magical creatures such as werewolves and vampires or people with magical powers casually exist in realistic cities. you can have something that's both, but i'm distinguishing them as terms for now!)

representation (optional): this section is optional because it may be made clear by the synopsis! for example, if the synopsis is something like "Sakura and Rie fall in love, but their families aren't in support of two women being together", you don't need to clarify that there are lesbians in the synopsis. however, if the mc sakura later feels conflicted because she's also attracted to men and wonders if it's worth losing everything for rie, you might want to note that it has a bisexual mc in this section! (and of course, if queerness isn't a major focus in the plot, here's where you put all the information on it!)

----- Keep reading ---- (include one here, please!)

other representation (optional): here's where you note poc rep if it's relevant/notable (no need to say 'the characters are all asian' in an anime); disabled representation; how the female characters are handled; and anything else you liked seeing! (or any disclaimers, if for example the story sidelines its women). no need to be comprehensive, but consider what different people might be happy to learn about, or want to be warned for!

disclaimers: this blog accepts any and all lgbtq+ fiction. this means that i'd like people to be pretty comprehensive in their disclaimers! please add one for:

incest

in-universe homophobia

out-of-story homophobia ('doylist homophobia') and the context;

age gaps if one or both of the characters is a minor and the gap is 3 years or more;

rape

copganda/a major character being a cop (feel free to note any nuance present!)

police brutality

"bury your gays" (no need if characters die but the story is clearly queer-positive/unrelatedly tragic)

#lgbtqia #lgbtq fiction #queer fiction #queer representation #chitra.txt

[shoujomangathoughts]

Chihayafuru Thoughts - Random Moments

The return of my Chihayafuru thoughts! This time I’m gonna focus on a couple random scenes that either stuck out to me in some way or that I don't really have another post or larger topic to fit them into. This may become a series for me to talk about moments I enjoy but I don't really have a larger narrative through line to talk about in regards to them. There will be light spoilers for essentially the whole series so here's your warning.

This scene has always fascinated and lowkey amused me. This comes right after the chapter where Taichi wouldn't allow Chihaya to go to his room and when he ate the cake off her spoon, and for Chihaya to notice that he's acting strange is interesting to me. I say this mostly because it's so early on and yet she just kind of forgets or gets used to it because she doesn't ever really mention it again. Technically Taichi still had a girlfriend at this point and I don't think he'd fully figured out his feelings either, but the fact that she seemed to be noticing and then later was completely blindsided by his feelings has always made this moment stay in my mind. It's also fascinating because so many others noticed his feelings too; Kana, Sumire, Harada, Tsuboguchi, Desktomu (he wasn't surprised Taichi liked Chihaya, only that he was turned down), hell even Chitose called it out and she was hardly ever around them.

//Also as a sidenote, while I love many of the different art styles and the evolution of the manga's art, something about the art early on hits different.//

I know this chapter and Chihaya's "answer" ruffled some feathers, especially when the author seemed to say Arata was soft-rejected here (some people seem to think of that as "damage control", but with this among some other things she's said, I think it's worth noting when an author who writes so many things in interpretable or relatively vague ways actually comes right out and clarifies what she meant). My reading of this scene (even before knowing what Suetsugu said) was that Arata was indeed soft-rejected, and that him saying "I'll work on getting closer to you" is an acknowledgement of the fact that outside of karuta, he and Chihaya don't have all that much of a bond. I think this is interesting since I can't think of many instances where he did truly work on that, but I always thought that he was becoming more aware of the fact that he and Chihaya weren't as close as he probably wanted them to be. I've seen the blushing get brought up as a defense of her "not actually rejecting" him but I think in general, they're both awkward and talking about love and his romantic feelings which can be a bit embarrassing and awkward. The most important thing here for me was that Chihaya herself never really gave an indication that she was telling him to wait or that she'd have more to say at a later time. She said how she was feeling in that moment; doesn't mean it'd never change, but to me she very clearly didn't reciprocate his feelings in this chapter despite having every chance to say it if she had.

I think, on a whole, Shinobu is one of the most fascinating characters in the series. Seeing how isolated she is and how much the game means to her, and seeing how dejected and outright frustrated she gets that she can't make a career out of it is one of my favorite parts of her arc. This line about creating a profession being the reason she's using social media (rather than reaching some level of celebrity) has always stood out to me. She realizes that she can't make money from the one thing she has the most interest and passion in, and resolves herself to carve a place out for herself instead of accepting that no such place exists. I've also always found her relationship with her mother interesting as Shinobu very clearly sees certain things in her mother that she doesn't want for herself (there's a line about being a leech off her grandmother that particularly drives this home). And similarly her mother is clumsy in communicating with Shinobu and is at times almost vicariously living through her and her accomplishments in karuta, yet here we get a moment of her mother starting to see her in another light. After this is when we start seeing her mom try a little harder to support and watch over her because she sees her daughter fighting for her future in a way that she seemingly stopped doing (if she ever did). Shinobu on a whole is quite independent at the start of the series, in part due to her isolation, but I loved watching her gradually gain more people around her and how she opened up.

This is a small moment but one that I really like. Taichi and Chihaya seem to have mostly gotten past the awkwardness of some of their previous post-Taichi confession interactions and seem comfortable again. But then when Taichi mentions the fact that Chihaya covered for Hanano when they took a picture at the queen match, we get a panel where she just stares at him. I've always seen this as a moment where it's reiterated to Chihaya how well Taichi knows her and how easily he reads her. In a way it seems like she feels she can't hide things from him, which makes sense as this is right before she confesses her feelings. It almost feels reminiscent of the "he's the guy who's always been working hard with me" line and the "Taichi's always been by my side" line. She's entirely focused on him.

Though she's by no means a super prominent character in the series, I really like Miyauchi-sensei. From going to a teacher who thought of Chihaya as only being an eccentric girl to seeing how much passion and effort the karuta club was putting into practicing and playing. There are a lot of small but great moments with her throughout. Making the team tasukis and later headbands, supporting the students even at tournaments unrelated to the school (Yoshino and the Queen match come to mind); she really ended up attached to and inspired by these kids. That's why I picked these panels to talk about her. It's a full circle moment where she thinks about the end of the first generation of the karuta club, and the fact that she's emotional is proof that this club has become something special to her as well something she will likely protect in the future.

Another relatively brief moment but one that I think encapsulates one of my favorite themes in the series: youth. This moment where Tsuboguchi talks about youth describes a lot of the commentary the series makes on the topic. We see primarily high schoolers but also characters like Harada, Inokuma, Sakurazawa, Tsuboguchi himself, Sakura, etc. all be examples of players who continue playing despite varying life circumstances. We see people carry passion way further into life than just during their high school years and I feel as though that's an important thing communicated in the series, especially given how karuta and its tournaments work. Having something you're passionate about and continuing down that path or finding new ways to reach people with a similar interest is a beautiful thing. It's reiterated throughout the series how important the time they have in high school is because life will get more complicated when they graduate, but this panel of Tsuboguchi talking to his team and telling them that he enjoys the game even more now is a great reminder that life doesn't end with graduating high school. As someone who was already out of high school when I read this series for the first time, I really enjoyed moments like this that remind younger people to value time in high school while not letting it be their peak (though in some physical aspects like Chihaya's hearing, it might be the peak lol).

This one is based almost solely on Taichi's line "sorry for standing in your way". I've always been intrigued by the author's choice of using this line because it comes across as somewhat more negative and direct than I expected when reading this part. I know sometimes this is the result of fan translation (still unbelievably grateful for the work they put in to help make things accessible though!), but for sake of analyzing this, I'll refer to this translation. To me, Taichi says this probably for a couple reasons. One of which is that it's the end of the match where Arata truly saw him as a proper rival for the first time, and just as Arata could tell that Taichi "loathed him", Taichi could also tell that Arata viewed him as a nuisance. I think this just kind of slipped out after Taichi lost which makes sense because no one is happy to lose to their closest rival. I think another reason that he specifically uses "standing in your way" is because as we essentially know (but it's confirmed later), Taichi feels left behind after watching Arata and Chihaya announce their goals to be Meijin and Queen as kids. They both have been chasing that dream the whole time whereas Taichi has been unsure of himself. He probably doesn't think he is as "deserving" of facing the Meijin because that hasn't been his goal the entire time and he knows that's always been Arata's goal. Either way, even if it was said only out of bitterness, Taichi and Arata hug it out afterwards and Taichi is able to encourage Arata to win. Just always been an interesting choice of dialogue to me.

One of the best parts of Arata's arc for me is when he finally realizes that as much as he loves his late grandpa and his karuta, there is a certain pressure that comes from following a prominent player. Realizing that he's been hypocritical about playing your "own" karuta and that he's tried to avoid nervousness for important matches by leaning on his grandpa's style are truly great moments for him. I also love how this is explicitly communicated by his dad, who turned away from the game because his father was so extraordinary at it. Watching Arata use things that he learned from practicing with his grandpa as well as playing in a way that suits him is genuine growth. He's taking the time they spent together and using it as a push to help him continue down the road to become Meijin himself. I also really like the support that he feels from Chihaya and Taichi in these moments as well; a nice reminder of some of the other people most instrumental in who he is in the present. The moment when Taichi walks in and Arata realizes that he "crushed his dream" is a nice way of showing Arata getting out of his head and just playing in a way that feels the most natural to him. He realizes that to get to where he was, other people have had dreams trampled and that this was a match he shouldn't waste by getting mentally blocked. At the end, when he describes playing Suou as being similar to playing his grandpa, it's nice to see him acknowledging that in order to be himself, he had to feel as though he'd surpassed his grandpa in some way. Reminds me of the times throughout the series where students are afraid of playing their teachers because of the fear of "acting like a student" rather than a rival. Arata came a long way as a player and the Meijin matches provided a lot of good insight into a character who was so confident most of the time.

This was something that's been in my drafts for a bit as a space to put some ideas down for another Chihayafuru post, but I didn't really feel the need to make long posts about each so I just kind of put them all together. Thanks for reading if you made it this far!

#chihayafuru #manga #ayase chihaya #mashima taichi #wataya arata #shinobu wakamiya

[floareadeaur]

I want to share a thought here.

Some time ago, I announced that I was taking a break from my blog for OnS. About a year ago, I deleted my old OnS blog and took a long break again.

I have loved OnS for 7 years. This story is my favorite and I have read and reread the whole series so many times. I have dozens of pages of bibliography with quotes from LNs, around 700 screenshots from the manga, and hundreds of personal notes on story analysis. 

Reading this story, analyzing it and understanding the psychology of the characters, the theme of the series, the ontology of the OnS universe itself and the message the author wanted to convey, the values ​​he put in the story, is something that makes me happy and helps me grow as a person.

That is why I love "Owari no Seraph".

What I want to convey in this post is what I have realized about myself.

I am much happier, I enjoy this story that means a lot to me much more, when I am not in contact with the fandom. I have also observed this during the year of hiatus after deleting the first blog, and during this little break from the current blog.

Because that is how I can read, actually reread the story, I can analyze it literary, psychologically. I can document Buddhism, Christianity, and other philosophical themes, or historical periods to understand it better. 

That way I can appreciate the story for what I really admire about OnS. Not to be constantly caught up in dealing with a majority online who see nothing of what I see in this story. And then try to explain to myself why this online majority does not see the story for what it is, or try to explain and re-explain, what the author has already explained in what he wrote, to people who have their own vision deviated from canon, which they do not want to leave aside.

What I mean is, now I think this, if you love a story, it is worth enjoying it for what you love about it.

Do not try to explain to yourself why some online strangers with their own mentality or values ​​can not see the story as the author wrote it, or try to prove anything to these online strangers.

It becomes so consuming, exhausting, and the negative feeling in such an environment just stops you from giving your energy to enjoy that story you already love.

This is what I realize after a blog dedicated to OnS, written continuously for 2 years, in which I invested in serious fanfiction writing, psychological and literary analyses, and after rebuilding another OnS blog (the current one) in which I succeeded, fortunately, to strictly share my enjoyment of the story.

Rather than trying to understand why some online strangers see the story parallel to the canon or spending time explaining to people who do not want to understand anyway, it is better to actually enjoy the story for what you see in it.

I mean, Rígr compares himself to Sun Wukong in LNs and as a practicing Orthodox Christian, I can say that Christianity is not just an aesthetic thing in OnS, but the author has seriously researched the concepts and philosophies of Christian doctrine that he has integrated into his story.

There is so much historical data and realistic psychological portraits. 

Personally, I am not surprised why most of the fandom does not understand the story, because OnS requires the understanding of some religious, philosophical, historical elements, and above all, those related to humanity and realism.

From chronic online people, what can you ask for?  Or from people who create their values ​​from concepts parallel to OnS?

I emphasize that the interpretation of a story is up to everyone and that is why if you enjoy a story, enjoy it, do not waste your time trying to understand why some people do not see anything in that story/character.

If Takaya Kagami, the author, said that he never imagines the "voice of the fans", but only writes what he wants and feels, from the heart, believe me, fandom is not important, and what some strangers say online has nothing to do with the story of a such author.

If the author allows himself to take a break in May so that he can rest and write even better his story created from the heart, then a distance from this online environment and an actual focus on your own health and then on the story that you love in itself, is welcome for all.

That is the conclusion of my thought.

I say from my own experience, enjoy what you love in the story. Analyze, write. Post what you feel from analysis, writings, that is what I did with the current blog material. I just posted what I felt and for myself.

Do not ever fall into the trap of wasting your time trying to understand why some do not see the story, a character, or trying to explain to someone who does not want to see anything.

The story and, above all, what you see as valuable in it matters, if something the author wrote touches your heart, not what some online strangers think, to conform, or to correct their opinions.

Analyze, write, enjoy OnS!

Message for me especially, me from the past, present and future, who I am very happy to have reached this conclusion. 

And if what I have written here helps someone who loves OnS, I am glad, if not, anyway, I wish whoever finds this post a good day!

P.S.  I am still on indefinite hiatus and will only come back with the next chapters, maybe if then I feel like posting an analysis on this story I love!

#owari no seraph #seraph of the end #ons #sote #ferid bathory #rigr stafford #urd geales #mahiru hiiragi #guren ichinose #crowley eusford

[meanieinspace]

Notes on Delicious in Dungeon.

The way people are praising it I thought it would be overhyped and tbh it kind of is, but that's not bad. Any story, especially an episodic story, becomes infinitely more interesting when there is sth that the author is actually invested in that's not just made up at the core of the story that informs how the characters (and the audience) relate to the world.

The first other example that comes to my mind is Alien: Echo, bc I read it recently and the author is very invested in (xeno-)biology which makes a story abt the xenomorph just so much better. Delicious in Dungeon has food.

For example the whole "mimics eat adventurers -> gold/jewel bugs lay eggs in mimics -> mimic dies -> fake gold chest appears" life cycle is a fun bit of world building, but when we're only dungeon crawling for treasure or experience the only part of that that matters is "fake gold", but since Laios & co need to look for edibility we're all invested in the whole thing.

Mimics and gold bugs may not be real but preparing food out of crabs and bugs, and food chains are. In my opinion it's not just about "realness", it's abt having a touching point between author, characters, plot and audience. A meaningful interface.

And you can't just pull meaning out of thin air. (Except if you are really interested in and knowledgable about the atmosphere and are writing a story about uuh, let's say, terraforming? idk)

So, in conclusion, Delicious in Dungeon is really good but it's not the never seen before thing people are treating it as online. Also I hate eating.

I like demons but I don't know how I feel abt the overarching plot. Hybris is kind of getting old for me personally as a theme. Fullmetal Alchemist had a very well thought out bit about hybris and autonomy (for what could be equal to the worth of a human soul? -> the only thing that is truly mine to offer is myself/my skill) which cynically put is about knowing your place or less cynically, as I said, about autonomy. Delicious in Dungeon is more about desire and truly knowing yourself, but in both cases it's kind of moralizing.

Which shouldn't really be surprising if you have demons as antagonists. I don't know what exactly I'm trying to say here. Just sth I'm chewing on.

Addendum:

Also people were going on and on abt how gay it is and I see the subtext ig but like that's all it is.

One of the least sexist anime/manga. Has to have been written by a woman. Not bc a man couldn't write like that but bc men who are into genre just simply never do for whatever reason.

#i kind of feel represented by marcille in a weird way idk why #delicious in dungeon #notes on stuff on tv

[the-nysh]

Would it be ok to start my path to the trigun hell hole with trigun stampede? I just KNOW that this show would consume and hurt me in many ways so any advice would help. Thank you.

👀👀!! Oh yes, absolutely you can - because for many newcomers who never got the chance 20+ yrs ago, Stampede was their first introduction to the series! So you wouldn't be alone there. :3 (I grew up with the 98 anime however, so that one was my first.) Stampede's also likely the shortest time-investment too, at a speedier 12eps for the current season vs the 98 anime's longer 26eps. So you're very welcome to try that when braving your first Trigun plunge~

Just note that every iteration available (old anime, new anime, manga) is different, with regards to their own plotlines and modified characterizations, so you'll gain something new out of all of them on each watch or (re)read.

For example, Stampede draws its lore/inspiration from the completed Trimax manga (but does not follow the exact same plotline; Stampede is its own separate retelling, not a 1:1 adaptation), which was not possible when the 98 anime was made, as the manga had not been completed yet. So the 98 anime adapts the first few manga vols (along with inserting many fun/silly slower character building eps, before switching to darker/heavier content in the later half) and has its own unique anime-original lore & ending (kinda like how the first fma did it), but the themes it presents are still quite solid and universal, so it's very worth a watch too! Even though yes, some parts are noticeably dated with 90s tropes (which you can 100% safely ignore, as both Stampede & Trimax Vash are not like that), just so you're aware.

I recommend at least watching the 98 anime before tackling the harder manga though, as the manga greatly expands into territory the 98 anime could never do or show at the time, so if you go say, from the manga to 98 in reverse order, there's a chance you may not enjoy the older anime as much? (Your mileage may vary.) In my experience, I went 98 -> Trimax manga -> Stampede (basically in release order), and since Stampede is very much a love letter + passion project for both new/older fans alike to enjoy, it's full of references to spot if you're already familiar with the series. I had lots of fun catching those (ep12 alone is like AAAA!!! *____* with so many Trimax elements thrown in) So you can start with it AND rewatch Stampede a 2nd time after completing the manga too, to get the most out of it! :D (Plus, the Stampede story isn't even over yet; it was more like a deliberately planned prelude, with plenty more endgame Trimax material to possibly explore in future seasons. You'll see when you get there~)

As for the manga, it begins with 2 volumes titled Trigun, before switching genres/publications to a darker/heavier seinen retitled Trigun Maximum (abbreviated as Trimax), which continues the same story right where the other vols left off, and for many fans, is considered to be the definitive Trigun ~experience~ (that'll change your life~)

It can be a difficult read, with regards to the serious subject matter presented and even for comprehending the vaguer 'up to reader interpretation' scenes (bc you can't speed-read this; there are times you may have to pace yourself with breaks to process if needed, and bc the expressive artwork itself does much of the talking through strong vibes and impression, which requires your full attention to grasp what's happening.) And since Nightow, the author, rarely draws speech bubbles with directional tails to indicate who's talking - cues which instead are understood thru context and the characters' unique accents/speech patterns, which while obvious in Japanese, is a much harder challenge when translated into english. So if you ever feel lost/confused by what's happening with the need for clarification, there's many bookclub fans here, including the main fan translator, who'll gladly help you out!

Be prepared for much mental trauma, emotional damage, character death(s), morality/reality checks and pain and suffering abound....but it's done in a very cathartic, soulful, healing way...where you suffer and heal in the same boat along with Vash instead of leaving you permanently hurt, it may leave you coming out of it feeling quite changed and enlightened refreshed and comforted by its messages instead. :')) (I've seen plenty who consider it their comfort manga bc of this, as well.) The enduring good faith Vash has in humanity, pursuing kindness as a choice for a better future (where things are not doomed when there's always a second chance to continue), and the ability to survive and recover from almost impossible, terribly hopeless (to downright suicidal) odds are what resonate strongly with me. :'3 Again, it's an ~experience~ you just have to feel to decide for yourself how it impacts you. But for some extra reassurance, the ending is not a tragic one, but something more bittersweet leaving off on a positive note, which is most importantly, hopeful. I hope you enjoy it!

And just fyi, after personally reading and comparing both the official Darkhorse and the Overhaul fan translations, I highly recommend the Overhaul manga over the official one for a much better time (since the official tl unfortunately has many mistakes, missed line callbacks, and misplaced speech bubbles, etc leading to more confusion, so yeah!) You can find the nicely accessible Overhaul manga translation (plus it seems there's plans for an improved ver2.0 fan translation in the works), along with their online reader too, right over here~

#trigun #anonymous #replies #woohoo i hope you enjoy it whenever you decide to take the plunge! #cause more fans always welcome

[duckprintspress]

Meet Aether Beyond the Binary Contributor Catherine E. Green

This is it: the final contributor spotlight for our crowdfunding anthology Aether Beyond the Binary, featuring 17 aetherpunk stories starring non-binary characters! Now, by going through the campaign updates, you can read biographies of all seventeen authors featured in this anthology and read excerpts from their works! We hope you’ll do so, and love what you read! We’ll be putting up a single post linking all the spotlights on Tuesday (January 23rd) so be on the lookout!

The crowdfunding campaign for Duck Prints Press’s next anthology Aether Beyond the Binaryends in 4 days and we are still $2,000 from our funding goal. We’d love your helping ensuring this project succeeds: so signal boost our posts or become a backer TODAY!

About Catherine: Catherine E. Green (pronouns: xe/xem/xyr or they/them/their) is an agender person, one who’s had an on-again, off-again love affair with writing. Xe began writing when xe was a wee thing, when xyr other major pastimes were playing xyr mother’s NES and roughhousing with the boys next door. It’s only in the past few years that they have begun writing consistently and publishing their writing, fanfiction and original writing alike, leading to their first published short story titled “Of Loops and Weaves.” 

Outside of writing, xe is a collector of books and sleep debt and an avid admirer of the cosmos. Playing video games, reading a variety of fiction genres (primarily fantasy, queer romance, and manga and graphic novels of all kinds), and working on wrangling their own personal data archiving projects occupy most of their free time. Xe is also proud to announce xyr graduation from a crocheting a single scarf to crocheting several scarves and other projects.

Links: Bluesky

This is Catherine’s first time contributing as a writer to a Duck Prints Press anthology, but xe were an editor on our anthology Aim For The Heart: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s “The Three Musketeers”, and xe are also an editor for Aether Beyond the Binary. Xyr short story Of Loops and Weaves is linked above.

An Interview with Catherine E. Green

How did you pick the name you create under?

Catherine is my meatspace name. The E. Green is an homage to my grandmother, who is herself a writer and poet and someone I look to for writing advice and inspiration. She was my first beta when I was first starting to write, and I cannot thank her enough for her loving support.

Are you a pantser, a planner, or a planster? What’s your process look like?

I’m somewhere in between a pantser and a planster. I usually go into writing something with some overarching idea (like a theme or a shape of a scene) and begin the actual act of writing with setting the scene. However, if the words aren’t coming, before I resolve to try again another day, I try writing something somewhere in the middle of the narrative – just to try to trick my brain into cooperating with me. This will sometimes lead to some internal consistencies in my writing (which one reason I love editing so much – love, love, love it), but it gets words on the page, which is often my biggest hurdle.

What do the phrases “writer’s block” or “art block” mean to you?

Writer’s block, to me, is when the filters my anxiety has built up in my mind sufficient block my creative output. It’s when I question every word I put on the page to the point where nothing I write feels worth keeping, much less moving on from. I don’t know that it’s ever something I’ll be able to work through, but I’m trying our being kinder with myself and addressing my mental health issues to see if both combined help reduce how long my writer’s block lasts for. Here’s hoping!

What are your favorite resources and tools for your craft? 

iPad with a magic keyboard, Google Docs, and either Notepad or some sticky notes for things I want to bear in mind while I’m writing. I’ve tried Scrivener and similar software, but I’ve never vibed with any of them.

What is your “dream project” – the thing you’d see as the culmination of your work as a creator?

I wrote a short story during my undergraduate studies that still have a fondness for to this day. It’s contemporary fantasy-type thing set in a lonely, not-quite-haunted cul-de-sac, where the lights and people seem to fade in and out of existence. It’s about identity, companionship among people who come from very different backgrounds, and the importance of language in how it shapes identity and relationships. I want to expand the work into a novel at some point, if I can, but we’ll see.

Tell us about your pet(s).

I have a 6-year-old tuxedo cat named Yennefer (yes, the reference). My brother and I adopted her a couple years ago from a small rural animal shelter. At the time, the shelter had given her the name Jennifer, so Yennefer was hardy a jump at all. And, goodness, does she have the personality to match. She’s my energetic boo-boo head, who likes to sleep on my bookshelves and knock over my coffee, and I love her to bits.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Try to write a little bit every day, even if it’s only a hundred words. The period of time when I was writing everyday was when I felt the best about my writing and when I felt like I was most capable shutting down the filters in my brain that make it difficult to write.

If you could give one piece of advice to a new creator who came to you for help, what would that advice be?

1) Read, read, read. Read a little bit of everything: fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, mystery, science fiction, history, etc. Read about writing. Read works by people whose style you vibe with and those by people whose style you don’t. Every bit of reading helps build a scaffold onto which you can hang your own ideas and words, and having a more stable scaffolding, and more stable foundation can only help your writing improve.

2) Learn how to talk about your writing, especially once you get to a point where you’re engaging the services of alphas, betas, and editors. The writer and the editor work best together when there can be open dialogue, and open dialogue is only possible when all parties involved can talk about the work in a productive way.

3) Figure out the kind of environment you work best in, whether that includes music or white noise or nothing, what kind of device you prefer typing on or if you prefer hand-writing, whether you work best in long stretches every so often or in short, frequent stretches, and so on. Try to craft your perfect writing space.

4) Writing is a skill one can work on improving over the course of an entire life. There is no end-point at which you are suddenly a good writer. Every word you write is a small step toward better your writing in one way or another, so try not to become too frustrated with yourself if you don’t feel like you’re improving. You are—I promise.

Catherine’s Contribution to Aether Beyond the Binary

Title: To Hold the World Close

Excerpt:

Very much unlike the typical saying “Sending along warm thoughts” and its various approximations, which often convey a rather intangible, often perfunctory, sentiment, Adrienne surrounds the swirling mass of fear, embarrassment, and grief with a warmth of xyr own. It’s the warmth of a community coming together to bring someone up from their knees; it’s the wondrous comfort of a light breeze and a spot of shade on an otherwise murderous hot summer day; it’s the pleasant touch of a loved one. I can’t be with you, my dear, not in person, but please take some measure of comfort from me, if you can, and seek out those who love you.

#aether beyond the binary #aetherpunk #kickstarter #anthology kickstarter #duck prints press #catherine e. green

[lotus-pear]

Hi! (Sorry this is long. I wasn’t sure how to shorten it)

I saw your most recent post involving your social experiment with your friend and I figured I can (maybe) contribute data to your social experiment!

Context: I started watching BSD somewhere around 2019 (I think I watched season 3 as it aired or it had just finished and it seemed like the anime ended). I accidentally found it, the description seemed interesting and the names looked familiar (i.e., I recognised some of them as authors right away)

So, I looked up the characters and while trying to minimise spoilers (and somehow mostly succeeded in that?) and was exposed and was exposed almost exclusively to knkdz (I didn’t realise Chuuya existed until I got to episode 9 and wasn’t aware of any other ships). It’s also worth noting that I didn’t really interact with fandoms that much back then (the most— for all the things I was a fan of/consumed— was accidentally discovering and seeing knkdz fan content. It seemed like an interesting ship)

Anyway, then I watched the show (and started the manga). The result? For me personally, I found knkdz to be the least interesting ship (romantic or queerplatonic)— don’t get me wrong/that being said, I *love* their canon relationship and whatnot

(We’ll see if that changes after I read the light novels since stuff like new manga scenes/arcs, Beast and Dazai, Chuuya, Age 15 have affected my opinions on characters, relationships and etc)

Most of the relationships I like to see when consuming content is actually platonic, with the few ships I do like being mostly queerplatonic (off the top of my head, I think the only actual romantic ship I have is Fitzgerald and his wife?), and all relationships being treated as roughly equally important

(And, if asked to list my favourite ships by order, it would have more to do with my favourite characters than actual ships lol)

Note: I’m on the romance-repulsed area/spectrum (for lack of a better word that I can think of at the moment) of AroAce so, like, that probably affects things lol

(That being said, it’s nice to see that BSD treats all relationships fairly equally and contributed me to liking the show so much!)

a response that i’ll make sure to factor in! i will say however that i have to disagree w you bc even as just friends or even going lower as just work acquaintances kunikida and dazai are written to have a lot deeper relationship than they actually let on. none of this is elaborated on in the anime or manga bc the series’s main focus is atsushi for the beginning but if you read dazai’s entrance exam you get kunikidas entire inner monologue abt dazai and it’s very interesting how quickly they latch onto each other. dazai’s reasons are more tragic than he lets on i believe, but until we get that directly from him we can only assume he gets so close to the ada and kunikida especially bc kuni reminds him of odasaku. that’s a whole tangent i can go on separately but suffice to say it’s the reason why he fell hard and followed him like a motherless duckling everywhere in the beginning, bc he saw oda’s unwavering resolve and firm ideals in that man. despite being in a conscienceless world that weighs survival against humanity, both oda and kunikida fight to ensure their personal beliefs are still held up. dazai finds that admirable in both men

#SRY FOR GOING ON A TANGENT I JUST #when ppl say that knkdz isn’t their fav bc they don’t have much content i have to take a step back and ask if they read ln1💀 #bc the anime does a horrible job of portraying their dynamic and partnership if i’m being honest #and the manga focuses on atsushi so we don’t get their personal relationship or even much of THEM unless they’re accompanying atsushi #sigh……when i say i hâte studio bones i really mean it. we were robbed so badly #sskk and knkdz stans 🤝🏼 being absolutely fucked over by studio bones #lotus’s asks

[hebimoonlightwrites]

Hey, sorry for the abrupt request, and this rq contains suicidal topics so please don’t write about it if you aren’t comfortable.

I would like to request Ichiro, Sasara, and Ramuda and how they would live w/ their suicidal fem s/o. I would also like to see their reaction when their s/o had actually died to suicide(they would probably witness it firsthand, like for example if their s/o chose to hang herself or jump off from the roof of their shared apartment yk, the type is your choice, although hanging and jumping would be a bit more realistic), and how they would process the pain and how they would react to a suicide note left by their s/o that was dedicated to them.

Sorry for the weird request, I just want to support my favorite author before I go. :)

-anon

Writer's corner: Of course it's a very delicate topic, and please, anon, tell me you're okay and that you really didn't think about this kind of thing seriously! I don't know you, but I'm sure you're a valuable and loving person! I know life can be a slut, but you cannot really let it win over you just like this! If you need to talk- even simply to cope, to talk about your pain- do it! You can text me as well if it can make you feel good enough! I'm glad you support me and my writings, but always remember that life and well-being is the priority! I can write about it, if it can make you feel better, but please, be safe and okay. I would never forget myself if something bad happened to you! So, please, don't hesitate to text me if you need to cope! And please don't keep all the pain inside!♥ You can find me here if you need anything, darling♥

mc's pronouns: SHE/HER

Warnings: Suicide, suicidal topics and sadness!! (please, read respectfully towards all the people who're living this kind of pain and, if you can, help them and remind them that they're worth it each day!♥)

⭐𝐈𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨, 𝐒𝐚𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐚, 𝐑𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐝𝐚⭐𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰/ 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐞𝐦 𝐬/𝐨

⭐I think we all agree to the fact that Ichiro would be one of the best partner ever!

⭐In general he would be so precious and caring towards his love..

⭐So I'm sure he would be even more caring towards his suicidal girlfriend!

⭐He would do his best to comfort her and to remind her that she's worth it and a valuable woman!

⭐I can totally see Ichiro being worried and trying his best to spend as long as he can with his girlfriend, maybe playing video-games or reading mangas/light novels together!

⭐Ichiro would be the one managing to snap her out of her thoughts and back to reality especially when she tried to space out, overthinking while her eyes got empty

⭐He would try to get her attention hugging her and smiling warmly:

⭐"My sweet love.. how are you? Is everything okay?.. I'm here with you.."

⭐I can't help but imagine Ichiro being at the Odd Jobs Yamada and got the feeling that something is happening to mc after reading one of her message

⭐He would be surprised and worried for her and would let Saburo and Jiro working:

⭐"Jiro, Saburo..! Take care of everything for a few minutes.. I have... a strange foreboding..!"

⭐He then would start walking out of the workplace, heading back to the apartment he shares with his brothers and with mc too

⭐Ichiro would run, probably he wouldn't even understand why, but his body would suggest him to run to the apartment!

⭐He would feel his heart starting beating faster and his breath getting heavier step by step

⭐In his mind he would think: "Please.. be okay! Please..!"

⭐As he arrived to the apartment, he would hear something strange from the inside: a strange and slight creaky sound while the kitchen would be dark with lights off

⭐Ichiro would open the entrance door and got inside, turning the lights on, only to see an horrible scene in front of his eyes: his precious mc hanging, her dead body hanging there with her arms down and her messy hair, an empty expression on her face and her eyes almost popped out..

⭐Ichiro's first reaction would be a dramatic scream, followed by his attempts to save mc, finding something to cut the rope and then getting her between his arms.

⭐He would immediately call an ambulance, hoping that mc is not dead but then he would cry a lot, caressing her face while holding her close.

⭐Then his hands would tremble in front of a letter she would have written for him before killing herself:

⭐"Thank you for teaching me how to love, Ichiro.. I've loved you and I will love you even after... Forgive me, but I can't go on.. I'm fed up... Good bye, my love.. Forever yours,~Mc♥"

⭐Sasara would do his best to cheer mc up and to make her happy each day!

⭐Even in the morning, as they get up, Sasara would start the day by saying a stupid joke just to make mc laugh

⭐"Mc! What do you call a fake noodle? An.. impasta!!"

⭐He would be that caring and lovingly partner, admiring mc's laughter and chuckle, blushing each time he could make her smile even slightly

⭐I'm sure he would also be more present around her, especially when she's not happy

⭐If Sasara had a suicidal mc, well.. he would make sure to be helpful to her!

⭐He'd be even clingy, if necessary! Only to make her understand how much he loves her and to comfort her!

⭐I cannot hide the fact that I imagine him on the stage when he would see mc crying but smiling warmly under the stage.

⭐Then mc would stand up and waving at him, still crying but smiling, before leaving the place

⭐While Sasara is still performing, he would get the indirect message from mc and would immediately run off the stage

⭐All the audience would be surprised, as well as Sasara's managers and other people there

⭐If his performance had trasmitted on TV as well, well.. all the people watching TV would be surprised too and concerned.

⭐Sasara would start running, chasing after mc, but I think he would get home first

⭐He would enter the apartment he shares with her only to find a small piece of paper on the table:

⭐"Thank you for teaching me how to be happy, Sasara.. I've loved you and I will love you even after... Forgive me, but I can't go on.. I'm fed up... Good bye, my love.. Forever yours,~Mc♥"

⭐"No, mc!! No!! Don't do these foolish things!!"

⭐Sasara would then take off his jacket, throwing it on the couch, and leave the apartment again, running as fast as he can

⭐Some tears would start to form on his eyes, which he would open wide in fear, his green short hair would follow the wind while he would try his best to reach the place as fast as he can

⭐Because I think he would understand and realize what place she is in after reading the letter

⭐He would get to the hospital, looking up at the roof and seeing mc without her shoes, looking down. A crowd worried and looking up at her

⭐He would try to make room through the people only to scream: "Mc!! Mc, please!! Don't do it!! Don't do it! I love you!! Don't do it!!"

⭐His expression would be full of despair for the first time in his entire life as a comedian. He would see her face, her beautiful face lightened up in a gorgeous smile.. A smile he would never forget about.

⭐Those curled up lips mimicing: "I love you, forgive me", before the tragedy.. her jump off the building.

⭐"Noooo!!! Mc!!!! Nooo!!!!"

⭐It's quite useless to say that Sasara would stop performing for a while, due to the pain inside his chest.

⭐I feel like he wouldn't come back performing sooner! But, after coming back (if he came back), he would see mc among the audience, sitting on her usual seat in the first row...

⭐A small tear would fall down his cheek as her figure- that thing like a memory or a ghost- disappears.

⭐Ramuda is also quite struggling with emotions, so I can see him being very understanding with a suicidal mc

⭐He would get his own bubbly personality each time he sees mc needing some help or to cheer her up

⭐Ramuda would run to her and hug her from behind, being clingy to her shoulder if she's taller or wrapping his arms around her waist if she's smaller or as small as him

⭐"Hehe~ Surprise!~ Did I startle you? Uhmm... I'm sorry~.. Did you miss me?~♥"

⭐Ramuda would cuddle his sweet mc even by creating some cute clothes to her, complimenting her and caressing her face just not to let her space out

⭐He would chuckle and poke her cheeks while saying: "No space-outs when you're with me~ hehe~♥"

⭐And I can't help but imagine Ramuda being in his shop, serving customers, as Gentaro would enter the shop running:

⭐"Ramuda!.. Dice saw mc running to the old building with a rope!.."

⭐At those words all the customers would get surprise and gasp scared while Ramuda's usually sunny eyes would become frightened.

⭐He would immediately run out of the shop, ignoring all the girls who would call for him, fangirling in Shibuya's streets.

⭐Of course Gentaro would follow Ramuda, while calling Dice on his phone, asking where mc is

⭐But Ramuda wouldn't listen to Gentaro nor to Dice, since his thoughts would be focused on mc and only on her

⭐His breath would get heavier and his heart would start pounding like never before

⭐Some tears would start forming in his blue eyes, even if he's not totally certain about what mc is going to do

⭐Once arrived, though, his eyes would open wide in terror as he would see mc hanging, her arms down and her body slowly dangling. Her eyes empty and without a single trace of life.

⭐"Nooo!!! Mc!!!! Mc, my love!!! Mc!!! Don't leave meee!!!"

⭐Ramuda would be held by Gentaro and Dice but he would also try to get closer to mc

⭐"Let me go!!! I wanna hug her!!! I wanna kiss her!! I... I... MC, WHY DID YOU DO IT?? WHYYY???!!!"

⭐His voice would echo in the empty place, just like a small drop of her blood coming from her throat.

⭐After coming back to his shop/home, Ramuda would receive something from the police, that would have examing the case: a letter

⭐"Thank you for teaching me how to be care for people I love, Ramuda.. I've loved you and I will love you even after... Forgive me, but I can't go on.. I'm fed up... Good bye, my love.. Forever yours,~Mc♥"

⭐The only sound perceptible would be Ramuda's scream in the dark of his shop, echoing in the dark of Shibuya's streets as well:

⭐"MC!! WHYY!!.."

©hebimoonlightwrites_tumblr Please, do not copy my contents nor repost it without my permission.

#hypnosis microphone #hypnosis mic #hypmic #hypmic buster bros #buster bros #hypmic ichiro #ichiro yamada #hypmic dotsuitare hompo #hypmic sasara #sasara nurude #hypmic fling posse #fling posse #hypmic ramuda #ramuda amemura #hypmic headcanons #hypmic headcanon

[2n2n]

I know that right now everyone is focused on chapter 104 😅 but I would like someone to explain me better about Hakujodai and the other one who also walks beside him (I don't remember the name). And also the ones that walk around Tsukasa, because now I'm confused if they're from Tsukasa or Sakura, because she can understand them. Please someone explain to me 😖

this is going to be a crazy long post. It's probably not what you wanted but it's what is going to commence.

Hanako's orbs are called Haku-joudai, and Tsukasa's are called Koku-joudai. Akane, and Teru, respectively, have referred to both orbs as "Tsueshiro" [杖代], which is a made-up word; unlike many words used in the manga, it does not have precedent in folklore, as far as I know. Both are holy in nature, unable to be harmed by Kou or Teru.

Now. the naming scheme, first off. It's insane and multilayered as Iro-sensei is about everything ever, there is significance in the kanji, in pronunciation, and Iro-sensei loves to fiddle wildly. Should be noted: It's not uncommon that some names and specific terms in JSHK use atypical readings. Whether or not a kanji is going to use the onyomi or kunyomi pronunciation is determined by things like, wanting to evoke other words as homophones, wordplay, etc… (In laymans terms, onyomi is the original Chinese pronunciation of kanji, while kunyomi is the pronunciation adaptioned to Japanese. Generally speaking, on is used in all-kanji words, and kun is typically in mixes of kanji/hiragana. But not always… aha. I have at least seen even natives struggle with some of Iro-sensei's decisions so I try to not feel too stupid about it.)

kun/on is kind of CONFUSING so I'll try to explain things in a simplified way... we are not professionals or scholars here.

I feel like it has to be included in all of this, even if we can hardly parse it.

白杖代 - hakujoudai / 白 - white (typically pronounced 'shiro', but in an all-kanji word, 'haku' is another pronunciation) As said, 杖代 is not a word, and I can't say which kanji definition is 'true' [though you can look at them here and here]. In all-kanji words the pronunciation would be "jou" and "dai".

黒杖代 - kokujoudai. / 黒 - black, (typically pronounced 'kuro' but in an all-kanji word, 'koku' is another pronunciation)

杖代 - tsueshiro - the incredible made-up word. It's using the pronunciations that would typically be used for words that AREN'T all kanji. but you can fudge it sometimes, which Iro-sensei does often , for words/names.

依代 - yorishiro - extant word. its NOT the same as 'Tsueshiro', but it shares the 'shiro' part. Worth thinking about.

The joudai are more or less "black joudai" and "white joudai", but Iro-sensei DID choose to name them distinctly.

黒白 connotates "black/white" in a "right/wrong" sense in some contexts. but it would be pronounced 'kuroshiro'....... Because Iro-sensei loves homophonous words, and homophonous words are frequently highly significant in character names, I will bother to mention that "kokuhaku", the combination of their names, black/white, is the word for 'confession' (not in kanji, but phonetically, or spoken aloud). Does this meaning anything? We do not know, Iro-sensei is insane.

Why do they both get pronounced 'Tsueshiro' and also 'Joudai' with the same kanji? Don't know.

Regardless of the unique name, their shape and candor is not without precedent.

In JP mythology, there are various sorts of orbs like this. Even in this manga, Yako has a more typical and decorative series of fire-balls about her. (probably 'kitsunebi' ?)

Nene-chan refers to Hanako's as "hitodama-chan", and "hitodama"[人魂] are, unlike simple little fireballs, the souls of the dead. You can read basic mythos about hitodama here! just ol' wiki why not...

Nene-chan is no authority, but it's interesting she calls them this, and not any of the other various terms for spirit-fire or what have you. Maybe they seem personable to her, or give off an air...

We don't know anything about them, really, but I can describe to you the little we can observe.

In boundaries, as mysteries are Gods of their own shrines, the Tsueshiro cannot be used.

After the Yorishiro blessing a Mystery with Godlike power is destroyed, the Tsueshiro can then be used again. The SECOND Yashiro peels Yako's Yorishiro, Hanako dons his Tsueshiro. He does not wear it in her boundary before this moment , as Yako could simply forbid it.

I believe the Tsueshiro are exclusive to Amane and Tsukasa; I think Tsukasa simply trusts Sakura/Natsuhiko to use them much more freely and order them, unlike Hanako. I wonder if Yashiro, if allowed, COULD be allowed to command Hanako's Tsueshiro, given that she is his kannagi?

One is a solid green 🟢 circle The other is an open ⭕circle with white in its middle.

The solid green 🟢 joudai is what Hanako appends to become a holy spirit, impervious to things like the exorcist's lightning. We never see him append ⭕. When in this form, he dons his cape, or manto (loanword 'mantle'), just a normal part of this old uniform style (his is just fancay).

He also uses the 🟢 to attack kaii, suchas Yako, or the Mokke

however, when he hits the lights above Aoi, he uses ⭕. he also uses ⭕ to move Nene-chan's cart to the moon in No. 4's boundary.

Typically, the red ⭕ is used to guard, or scout. Hanako will have it tail Nene-chan, hide in her pocket, or stay behind to monitor a situation while he is away.

Tsukasa's ⭕ seems to also be used for scouting and observation.

in the Far Shore arc, Hanako leaves ⭕ on the train to watch over that situation, while he keeps 🟢 with him and Nene-chan.

^⭕ staying behind with everyone

^ keeping 🟢 with him, probably so he can access his blessed form if need be to protect Nene-chan or what have you.

as for Tsukasa, he uses both ⭕+🟢 to send Nene-chan to Sumire's boundary

but this is .... the only time I've seen him use 🟢 .... if Tsukasa's can attack, or be appended to him, we haven't seen. (but bare in mind that we didn't know Hanako could also use the sleep-spell, which Tsukasa uses on Nene-chan in vol 7, and Hanako doesn't show us SURPRISE!! he can use until vol. 10. It might be that the boys share everything... we don't know!)

Hanako also uses his 🟢 to pluck Nene-chan from Sumire's boundary, so...

[but here anyway, Hanako ONLY has 🟢, as ⭕ is away helping Akane/Aoi/Teru....]

Both Tsukasa and Hanako appear to use ⭕ to 'poof' away, or get to a location. Of course for Tsukasa you have the rooftop scene, for Hanako you get a few confirmations he can do the same...

In any event ..........

Hanako often talks to ⭕

both Hanako and Sakura tend to say thank-you to the orbs, or ask them questions, updates, directly.

They really externally interface with them as if they are talking ...

Hanako is pretty affectionate with his.

the orbs seemingly can express anxiety or stress at situations.

Is it significant, the differences between 🟢 and ⭕? I don't know.

#avvy's JSHK

[beesinspades]

heya!! im someone whos only watched the 98 version of the anime and knows its pretty different from the manga, but idk how much. what would u say the main differences between the manga, 98, and stampede are? im just trying to debate how crucial it is to read the manga lol

hi!! I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask this, because I haven't seen all of the '98 version! but the manga is definitely worth a read, since the '98 version only had notes from the author to work with once they were done adaptating the first two volumes? (basically trigun maximum wasn't out when the anime ended, I think?) I did watch a few episodes though, and the differences between manga and '98 I noticed were:

vash isn't lowkey girl-crazy in the manga at all

some subplots don't exist in the manga (like the one with rich guy 'owning' all the water and hiring vash as a bodyguard)

important elements are revealed much sooner in the manga than in the anime (wolfwood working for knives, vash's age and his connection to the plants, etc)

vash didn't kill anyone in july in the anime, but he killed the whole city in the manga

meryl doesn't spend weeks refusing to believe vash is the humanoid typhoon because she finds him too dumb lol

and differences I heard about but haven't seen for myself yet:

there's no lowkey romance (?) between wolfwood and millie nor vash and meryl

the way/place [redacted] dies is different

knives is just a bad guy in the anime, he's much more developped in the manga

the anime doesn't have characters like livio (important to wolfwood's storyline) or elendira the crimsontail, a trans woman who's the strongest of the gung-ho guns in the manga

likely many other things that develop the story and the characters better since, again, they only had notes to work with

for stampede, So Much is different from the manga too. the core is there, but the characters don't meet the same way (millie will likely show up in season 2 after a time skip), the villains don't show up for the same reasons / in the same circumstances / in the same order (like livio appears in next week's episode even though he appears fairly late in the manga) and basically the story is happening before the july disaster, which definitely shakes things up quite a bit in regards to pacing, relationship development between the characters, etc.

so I wouldn't say it's crucial to read the manga, but also i really can't not recommend it!! it feels different enough from both the '98 version and stampede to be worth a read.

I hope that helps! if anyone who's more informed than me has anything to add or correct, please feel free to do so~

#trigun stampede #trigun #ask #anon #bee answers

[bunnygirl678]

Which fics have you read more than once?

Ahhhh so I've read a lot of fics more than once! I usually leave a comment if I read something twice but not always, i forget sometimes lmao

I need to do a fic rec at some point, but to just link a few that i've reread recently (note i've been doing a lot of prec metal latelyyyy)

Okay my top 5 most reread for reguri/pms are below soooo enjoy! Although these aren't all of them, they're just the most recently reread lmao, ummm there aren't as many fics for gold/silver so you get more aus with reguri,

Take heed of ratings and tags if you see something you don't like don't read lmao

Reguri both game/manga is first cause it's first lmao (no specific order)

So this is my all time favorite Reguri story, I've reread it multiple times, Scale of the Heart Series by DeathandTaxes, it's really good and really long which is a bonus in my book,

A note, this one isn't complete and hasn't been updated since 2018 but i'm holding out hope lmao, it's also omegaverse which is my dirty little secret love While You Were Away by msOdds, this story is why i like mpreg lmao

This one is a soulmate au and i really really like it Reguri Week:CODA by loopid, really cute idea and i like how it was executed

High School AU!!! I love high school aus, I only have one going and it's gold/silver mostly because i've been out of high school too long and don't trust myself to write it well lmao, but this one is amazing, i remember clicking on it and being like, hmm not gonna read yet and when i finally did i ended up going back and rereading it (i was in the hospital with pneumonia so there wasn't much to do but read and write lmao) The Oak Tree by FarishtaFyre, it's soooo good, worth the read for sure

This one is spicy it's about slime!Red Experiment by chatonbiru

Prec/Hunter not gonna separate cause you know (no specific order)

Okay this is pokemas there's actually 3 separate stories all by the same author Dreamsgirl but i adore them so it's counting as one, and usually when i read one i'll go read the other two, Rebound, Mistakes Were Made, Rivalzoned (the last two also have some reguri)

And We Shall Burn by Juulz, this one is LONG which is great cause there are only a few long fics for this pairing which sucks, it's really well written and has a bunch of twists and turns

PMS_Apologist i've reread a bunch of her stuff, she's the best porn writer i know, beware it's on the side of dark which i'm all for but you know heed the tags, the first fic i read from her was really dark and i was like, yeah i'm gonna need more glad to see she has a ton, and we ended up becoming homies cause she likes bloodbank lmao, as for fics, this one is cute, and spicy but not dark, Awaiting the Apocalypse it's got the fun air that a lot of masters fics have. Also Facade which has no sex

Another long one, it had me crying so that's fun, Something to Fight For, by Yusuke_Uchiha, I read it in an afternoon while on pain killers with my shoulder and sobbed a ton lol

Heart to Heart by Kalkks, green being a good big brother figure which is always fun, cute story!

Then finally my top 5 fics of my own that i've reread

Blood bank, it is on going, i have the next ch written and i need to update lmao, alsooooo it's getting a companion piece for gold/silver and team rocket so you get to see how gio/delia started dating and why silver hates red, and it's also spicy but not published as of yet (it will be just as long as blood bank lmao)

Mama, Can You Die From A Broken Heart? me experimenting with a texting fic!! i ended up really liking it and have reread it multiple times, i wrote a good portion of it on a flight while fighting a hangover and no sleep but it's still good lmao

Soulmates in Higher Education Series first one is red/green second is actually a prequel but it's silver/gold i had fun writing them, i love soulmate aus so you know i had to write them

The Most Expansive Collection of Champion Red Merch in All of Kanto this one was fun to write, it's a snapshot fic with a storyline if that makes sense?

5 Times Eevee Helped Green When He Was Sick, +1 Time She Didn't it's rough around the edges, I was getting back into writing and as you can tell from the notes I was extremely ill, in the hospital, but i still love this fic, really liked my plan and whatnot,

BONUS: MY FAV AUs (And how many wips i have of each)

High School/College Love these, I have 1 WIP and it's gold/silver, but it's really good?? it started out as an attempt at originalshipping but the characterizations were off, until i realized they were more like gold/silver so i made some edits and changed the plan, i'll pick it back up at some point lmao

Omegaverse- leave me alone i love them so much, Reguri-5 wips, Prec-3 wips

Soulmate-need i say more?? 2 wips, one reguri, one prec

Hanahaki- sad flower disease?? Yes please, i love the angst, and i love flowers (fun fact i'm a licensed florist, but i never do anythign with itlmao) 1 wip each, neither are close to completion lol

Family- not found family, but like domestic?? idk, moreso with gold/silver, silver and gio reconnecting or never separating or idk, just fluffy family stuff

There are a ton more fics that I've read multiple times, or really enjoyed, if you run out of stuff to read let me know lmao, you can always beta my 97 open wips lmao

#i'm so sorry this took forever for me to publish #i'll eventually do fic recs #there are a lot of really good fics #complete ones and incomplete #spicy and mild #tried to do all complete with the exception of the one omegaverse #reguri #preciousmetalshipping #bunny asks

[ezralva]

I've been following you for a coupla years now ever since your xicheng era. It's interesting to see whenever you get into new fixations, it introduces me to lesser animes or BLs or new ships that otherwise I would never think of and more often than not I got hooked to them thanks to you 😁 I'm very shy and awkward so mostly in fandoms I'm in im just a silent enjoyer and follower. I'm so happy when you started posting and reblogging jjk because it's a fandom I've been silently lurking for years and moreover because you like stsg and also chousou because they are one of my favorites too. I pretty much enjoy reading your posts and your reblog tags, they are funny! May you share how you got into that? Because you mention one time that you regret those who drew you into jjk 😅 is it something to do with big fandom?

Ps. I like your fic so much, it's like a healing session after chapter 236, I thought i'd let you know here because i'm too shy to comment directly on the fic

Omg this is so sweet of you, anon, thank you! I hope y'know your kind words just made my whole day <3. Wow if you've been following me that long then you shud go off anon so I wud know who you are ^^ but I get it! I enjoy being silent lurker and follower too from times to times.

Also wow I'm amazed you've put up with my everchanging fixations that long lol I know I'm annoying that whenever I'm into new fixation then I wudn't shut up abt it for a while and too lazy to ever make sideblogs. Anw, I don't really remember when I said that ahaha I'd most likely just joked or be sarcastic when I wrote that. I did feel so much pain knowing my otp is a doomed ship but it's nothing I didn't know before I even started jjk. Moreover it ended in a good note for me what with the latest chapters of them so it's all good now. The abundant loveable characters of jjk making it easy to explore other dynamics and ships too. Even dynamics I'd usually nvr entertain so it's been an eye opener experience! I don't regret a thing. Glad to know we share similar tastes :)

but yea I'm really not good with big fandoms overall and am usually content with the tiny corner of my own. My last experience with big fandoms, before I switched completely to obscure fandoms, were too unpleasant that I didn't wish to ever repeat it. But I'm more adept with curating what I wanna see now so I won't get put-off or get bored quickly. Tiny fandoms are nice and comfy but they were oftentimes unsustainable for me due to the lack of interactions. Still, I'm so happy to hear my shitposts could actually introduce you to new fixations!

Abt how I get into jjk. Well, unlike any other animes mangas I'm into, I actually have irl friends and coworkers that are fans of jjk. 3 of them are close to me (one of them is my spouse lol) and had literally pestered me to try it for long so they'd have someone to talk with. So I'd known about it since around 2 years ago when the movie came out. I was curious bcs it was such a hype around me even though they were all adults who usually didn't even watch anime so there must be sth different abt it. Yet I kept putting it off cz I was just not into supernatural fantasy shounen. I decided this year would be a good time to start since with season 2 the hype around me was too high that I just got swept in it, naturally. I cudn't tamp down my curiosity any longer plus I got time now during this break so why not, right? The thing is my irl friends arent into simping let alone shipping (at least not that I know in public, who knows what they might be doing in private) so I keep that side here ofc!

Awwwh thank you so much for letting me know you like my fic! Ch 236 was indeed devastating for a while tho it was still a HE in some aspects (for me). It's an outlet for me to pour my HCs for the characters that stuck with me. I hope you know that even if it's just excited emojis, a comment in the fic worths a lot for authors cz it let them know not just abt whether their fics are being read and liked, but how their works actually affect the readers, it's a potent drive for authors and feedbacks are helping authors so you don't need to be shy 😉

#ask #fandom #long post

[atomicsuperrobot]

A thought I forgot to add to the last post, but it doesn't really fit anyways, so I'll put it here:

The contrast in art styles, like I mentioned, is very interesting. It makes a world of difference with regards to how you even perceive the characters in the first place, especially Joker himself, whose harsh angles and sharp points lend to an older-seeming, much more... dare I say, edgier character than what we wound up getting in the anime. It makes him feel older, and especially early on, helps to enhance that "mysterious phantom thief whom nobody really knows anything about" bent that the manga was initially trying to sell; basically, it helps put the "mysterious" in Mysterious Joker, doesn't it?

Of course, it doesn't take very long at all to see that he's not really all that mysterious, and is actually more of a bumbling, lazy, prone-to-boredom goober, at least when he isn't working- and sometimes even when he is. The manga did still have elements of mystery going on at first, but that mostly stemmed from the fact that beyond just being the Guy That Does Things™, the author had no real idea what to do with him in regards to story or history- and to be fair, he hadn't really needed to, most of the time. It kind of makes one wonder how the anime would've panned out, had some of his early ideas been favored over what he wound up using in the end. Of particular note is the "Immortal Joker" concept, as well as the "evil twin" trope or its various permutations that almost happened with Shadow Joker. (Funnily enough, you could still call him an evil twin- for a given definition of "evil", anyway...)

On a final note (and the one that I was initially trying to convey in the first place), while it's definitely a little unpolished, I would love to someday try to take some of the more notable elements the manga's art style (especially some of the earlier work) and try to sort of marry it to the anime's aesthetic. As I've said before, it has a profound effect on how the characters read in the first place; and it's not just Joker who is affected by it- the other notable example is, in fact, Shadow Joker. Though that's probably also a matter of inconsistent writing, in his case, he also had some details in his appearance that lent to a decidedly more unhinged look- which is kind of funny, since early on at least, he's notably more chill than his animated counterpart. A bit more jocular and less intense in comparison, back when his motives weren't entirely decided upon yet, and he was basically a free agent who was implied to be a thief for hire. The mercenary angle is an interesting idea worth exploring, as well.

#Kaitou Joker #Mun Post #this. got a lot longer than it was meant to lmao #sorry about that. kind of.

[birdmenmanga]

spent some time reading manga today, using the random button on mangadex as per the usual.

[Will These Words Reach You] first off was this cute yuri story about a woman who had quit her job and taken a vacation where she met another woman studying abroad and they get close despite the fact both of them can only use broken english to communicate (their first languages are japanese and spanish). very cute and sweet but is labeled as "doujin" for some reason even though it works very well as a stand-alone story and I can't find what it's a doujin of. It's a good light-hearted read (below left)

[Suuji de Sukuu! Jyakushou Kokka] then we had an isekai story about an aspiring mathematician becoming the princess's war consultant, which you would THINK is a strong premise; however the main girl's boobs are so fucking annoying and distracting that it was actively making my reading experience worse despite a reasonably strong plot. It's so clear that the author doesn't believe in the power of his subject matter or his writing or whatever that the panel compositions keep focusing on boobs. boobs. boobs. annoying as hell man why can't you just stay in your lane and talk about game theory. fuck off. I haven't watched no game no life in ages but I think the plot of this is more solid and the mathematics more coherent but the boobs just piss me off so bad. and I LIKE boobs too. that's how you know you've really flubbed it. still on the fence as to whether I'd recommend it. (above right)

[Zettai Unmei Houteishiki] we also had some old-looking yaoi (off the top of my head the artstyle looked maybe... late 90s or early 2000s? [note: checked it and it came out 2004. nailed the artstyle dating]) that was about 1 volume long; unmemorable, melodramatic, and overall not great. god what eve was the plot... okay son of a yakuza family who is high-school aged fell in love with this photographer guy years ago but the rest of his family (2 older siblings, also both guys) chased the photographer guy off behind his back and he's feeling wet and pathetic about this. not great. don't recommend.

[Café Kichijoji de] there was also a slice-of-life comedy about 5 guys working at a cafe. to me it just felt like a deeply underbaked version of hana-kimi's humor, and some of it was pretty mean-spirited too, like one of the guys being sad that only the "ugly" (masc and butch) girls wanted to text him. also do not recommend. (above right)

[Yaoguai Mingdan] and lastly there's a fantasy story about some college student who is suddenly surrounded by a lot of dangerous demons fighting over him. Seems like classic harem fare but it doesn't really bother me that much. Obviously also using sex as a bait to get people to read it, like suuji de sukuu up there but this at least is very forthcoming about "I need your semen and I am going to fuck you right now" instead of continually taking boob shots that are not remotely relevant to the plot at all. god, I'm just so mad at what they did to suuji de sukuu. as a person I'm just straight up more interested in statistics than I am about daoist demon mythology but maybe it's because of that I can appreciate yaoguai mingdan in a way I can't with suuji de sukuu like I'm not gonna be upset at the depictions in yaoguai mingdan because I don't know shit you know. also I grabbed the cover picture on mangadex but holy shit the artist's art gets way better lmao

I dunno. suuji de sukuu just felt more misogynistic as a story (which could have been fixed entirely if the main character had been a girl by the way), and while the author claims they love math it just comes off as insincere. like if you REALLY believe math is genuinely cool and is worth studying you wouldn't resort to low concepts like boob fanservice. read suugaku golden instead. yaoguai mingdan committed to the bit about sex hard and that's what I like about it. yeah!! the dryad is harvesting energy to get revenge on humans!! sure sure I can buy that. the bit about the love hotel the main character keeps getting dragged into against his will getting blown up time after time with the bill for repairs getting shoved on him because all the other supernatural parties are too busy duking it out in a secondary location? that's funny! that's really funny!! like it knows it's "low art" and accepts it and embraces it and there's something true and beautiful about that in the same way chainsaw man is. also the scanlation groups who have been working on yaoguai mingdan have been going THROUGH it I think I'm not even 70 chapters in and the scans have changed hands multiple times LMAO

#just thinking thoughts... #will these words reach you #suuji de sukuu! jyakushou kokka #zettai unmei houteishiki #cafe kichijoji de #yaoguai mingdan #suugaku golden

[bungakusyoujo]

Zettai Karen Children final thoughts

I read the entirety of the manga in about three weeks, and enjoyed it very much. It’s been a while since I last read a manga that was so consistently high-quality (for the most part, at least). I have a few minor complaints, but overall, this was unexpectedly a very well-written, captivating story.

The good:

The art. It starts off as simple "retro" style, but considering that the manga ran for over 15 years, it's not surprising that it eventually evolved into something much more polished and impressive. Comparing the first chapters to the later ones, I still think both styles are good-looking and distinctive.

The manga is obviously very long and depicts the main cast in three major stages of their lives, yet there are no actual time skips. You watch the characters grow in real time, which allows for very natural development.

Another thing I liked is the pacing, particularly how the plot is comprised of smaller independent stories which are marked by common titles. While the overarching story arc definitely exists, dividing it in such a manner keeps the story digestible and not overly info heavy per chapter. (This is less prevalent in the final story arc, which I will address later.)

The characters. Almost every single one of them is likeable, believable and interesting; their psychology also feels very convincing, particularly the depictions of trauma. The main cast is charismatic and nicely developed, while side characters stay relevant throughout the story. The author often draws from known tropes and archetypes, but still manages to give his characters distinguishing qualities that make them stand out.

The comedy. It’s not easy to make me giggle, let alone laugh out loud, but this manga did both on frequent occasions.

The fanservice is not too much in your face and doesn't distract from what's happening. Most of it is focused on female characters, but it’s also worth noting that the manga doesn’t shy away from showing shirtless men.

The bad:

Towards the end of the manga I noticed an increasing amount of repeated panels, namely closeup panels being copied from other bigger panels. They appeared up to a few times per chapter, which I don't think should be happening to this extent (or at all, preferably), though I can imagine the reasons why the author resorted to that solution (deadlines, most likely).

Spin-off characters (Andy and Yuugiri) received really weird treatment. Their mother story, "the UNLIMITED", requires no prior knowledge of the ZKC manga, yet if someone was to read the last arc without watching "the UNLIMITED" first, I feel like they'd be very confused with the Blue Star Foundation. It gets even worse that the organisation and its members have very little impact on the manga story, which is SUCH A SHAME. It could have been a great opportunity to expand on these characters after rather poor development they received in the spin-off (yes, they were main characters and I still feel like they got nerfed by a bad script). The Foundation should have their own IMPACTFUL story arc. If you aren't going to do that, why put them in the manga in the first place? They contributed nothing. (Let me guess, Andy was a very popular character as reflected by the popularity polls, so they wanted to spike up the sales?)

Related to what I said earlier about the pacing, the final arc suffers from changing the formula at some point. It drags for too long before we finally get to the bad guy. If the main villain is supposed to feel threatening, we should have more story related to him than just a few glimpses (it was well executed in the second arc where Gilliam had enough screentime to be interesting, but for some reason the final arc neglected him in favour of having him brainwash everyone, so most of the time is spent on fighting the brainwashed allies instead of the actual enemy).

That one time every main character got a nice summary of their role while Aoi got reduced to having small boobs. Yeah, I didn't enjoy that part.

#zettai karen children