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There is a high chance that I'll cry when reading the last bundle of chapters for Ignihyde T_T

Ahhh can't wait for the new update!!!

I really like the way TWST writes siblings. Leech bros too.

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Little wanderer, hie thee home.

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“La galette des rois”

It is I, one of the honorary french persons in this fandom (as I spend time here I notice how many of us they are and I wonder… Pourquoi on parle juste pas français entre nous?), here to explain to you a New Year tradition in France while August is ending and we are slowly approaching the marvelous and amazing… Toussaint. Joking I’m talking about Halloween. Though I can talk about Toussaint as well if the occasion presents itself. But this is the not the subject of this post, as I have an all-mighty need to talk to you about the “galette des rois” and all the traditions surrounding it in France so I can explain to you how it relates to Vanitas No Carte, as always.

Unlike some of my other posts about french culture and/or language, this post will end up more shippy than usual for reasons you shall quickly understand. Without further ado, let me tell you about a little omake that was released back in February 2019:

Original translation post here

It’s all very fun and interesting, and I’m glad MochiJun brought it up. Though as I read it, as a french person, a question remainted in the back of my mind… “If Vanitas became the kind, who is the queen?” You may think it’s a weird thing to ask yourself, and yet… Hidden in a corner of the french wikipedia page, and left unmentioned in the english one… Part of the tradition is missing.

You see, the Galette des Rois can indeed be taken as some kind of New Year’s punishment game, but for other reasons than being congratulated. Here is how the holiday is spent:

It’s a single day, the 6th of January, during which people either prepare or buy a “galette”, in it is hidden a “fève”. The person who finds the fève is crowned kind or queen of the day. As to be fair and not cheat on whoever can get the fève, the youngest person in the group gathered goes under the table and decides in which order they are served, once everyone has their piece of galette, they go out from under the table and everyone starts to eat to see who gets the fève. Once we know who got the fève, this person is given a paper crown… and now here is the interesting part:

They have to choose a king/queen.

You see, when the galette is usually bought, there is one paper crown furnished with it, and you can keep it for next year to have two crowns, one of the king/queen and one for the person they decided to choose as their queen/king. But if you only have one crown, the person who has the fève keeps the fève, and gives the crown to the person they decided was their king/queen. (It can vary from family to family for that though)

This is why it can be a New year’s punishment game: basically, it means you are forced to choose either your favorite person or your crush.

NOW HERE IS THE THING. So as a french person, I think it’s weird the omake stops there, because there is a step missing. But as I scroll through twitter, I find this… interesting tweet, by MochiJun, which works as an addition to this omake:

Original tweet

If you are not french, or if you don’t celebrate this kind of holiday, for you, it looks like this: Vanitas is giving up his “king” title to Noé… and I think this what MochiJun intended to represent. But the thing is: if you want to give up your title as king/queen, you don’t give the crown: you give the fève.

SO WHEN I TELL YOU I SCREAMED WHEN I SAW THIS–

For me, used to the whole “king/queen chooses queen/king” ordeal, this is Vanitas choosing Noé as his king/queen for the day. He is basically claiming Noé as his favorite person. (Btw, if you read the comments under it, you can find one french comment saying “Noé is his queen!”, which means I’m not making up stuff)

So yeah, how to make romantic subtext with a holiday that has absolutely nothing to do with romance in the first place.

Though I have to add some stuff to this: the whole thing about making sure the youngest is under the table while we serve everyone is actually so we can serve the youngest the piece with the fève if we find it. And if not, the king/queen can choose to crown the youngest either way as to give him something… Kids just want the crown, the glory, and the cake, and adults want peace. So this picture could very well be Vanitas doing the same thing.

As for what happens when we have our king/queen and queen/king for the day… Nothing. We just finish the galette and do our stuff. Maybe if you are with friends they will question why the kind/queen choose a certain person as their queen/king, a bit of teasing, but then that’s it. 

Anyway, I’m happy. I hope you all have a nice day. Thank you for reading until the end!

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Fellas, is it gay to smile properly at your bro for the first time in a moment so intimate that not even the audience gets to see it?

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The Story Of You From My Eternal Memories: Deeper Analysis of VnC Birth Flowers (Vanitas & Noe Part 1)

Analyzing the language of flowers used to be an old hobby of mine. Given the fact that their birth flowers’ meaning are becoming a driving factor for this fandom’s discussion, I’ve wanted to contribute again by giving a deeper analysis on Vanitas’ and Noe’s birth flower symbolism, and the potential on their relationship/roles in VnC’s story line. (Also to deal the agonizing wait of the next chapter.)

I also really enjoy the thought Mochijun put into this part of their character development. (Or maybe she threw an arrow at a calendar randomly who knows. She loves to be vague about this stuff.)

While most flowers share similar meanings of ‘love’ or ‘beauty’, I think it’s also important to recognize the differences between the modifications of each description of ‘love’ and nuances of each flower. (Also I’m using Google Translate for the Japanese meanings/info on their flowers, so as a non-native speaker, the translation may not be 100% accurate.)

Also a quick thank you to @1anonymousdrk​ for informing the VnC fandom of our emotionally conflicted protagonists’ birth flowers several weeks back. This s*** has literally plagued my brain for so long lol.

https://1anonymousdrk.tumblr.com/post/658473546538975232/vanitass-no%C3%A9s-birth-flower

Unlike the western birth flowers, hanakotoba (japanese version) has flowers assigned to every month of the year, and every day of the year. I don’t know what the context you use for the month flowers though if you already have a day flower. Meanings can differ or stay similar in both languages. Everyone has at least one birth flower. The average I’ve seen is between 2-3 flowers assigned to a day, 1 being the least, 5 being the most.

BTW, the site that tells us birth flowers for every day/month of the year: 

https://hananokotoba.com

Now, let’s get to it! (Allons-y!)

Keep reading

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Hamefura S2E03 → Rufus Broad

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「 When I lose myself I become you 」 Was it you who I’ve been searching for? Spent my life alone and waited for So tenderly and endlessly You make me whole You make me whole And the walls put up they melt away With every touch and your embrace Every day, every night, every note I play You make me whole You make me whole Was it you who I heard through the door? When I cried and had no place to go 巡り巡る時の中 もう一人じゃない

#vanitas no carte #vanitas no shuki #the case study of vanitas #I really went there and made the angstiest most spoilery painting of my entire career #sorry not sorry #I am a firm believer that his real name is Luna don't @ me #added the bracelets to further reference the vampire #and I wish we knew how Noé's mark looks like so I could add it on the other side #I am sure Noé will have to bite him eventually and that will get tragic

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VANITAS ANIME TODAY IM SO HAPPY

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Memories of Pandora Hearts - Favorite Scenes, Funniest Scenes, and Saddest Scenes (As Picked by the Fans)

I debated for a long time if I wanted to include translations of the fan comments (which is why this took so long to get up, because I went back and forth a lot), but then I decided to forgo doing actual translations of them, and just give a summary/general consensus of the thoughts and feelings expressed in the fan comment sections. Since they don’t add too much to the scenes themselves and they tend to be very similar in nature. 

Anyway, here is the list (there is not placement, they just seem to be in the order of when they appear in the serialization, so the scene from the earliest chapter/volume comes first and the scene from the latest - at the time of the polling - chapter/volume comes last).

Favorite Scenes:

Volume 2, Chapter 7 - The Oz/Gil Reunion Scene (When Gil redoes his vows to serve Oz)

(General Gist of the Fan’s Comments: Many fans felt that this scene demonstrated Oz and Gil’s bond with each other, that it showed the relationship between the two of them and the fact that the deep bond and deep feelings they have for each other lasted through ten years, even though so many things had changed. And another fan just felt as if that moment left a deep impression on them.)

Volume 7, Chapter 27 - The Elliot/Oz Scene (When Elliot tells Oz: “You can keep walking, or turn back, or take a different road.”)

(General Gist of the Fan’s Comments: Most of the fans wrote about how Elliot’s words here helped save them. That this was the moment when Oz’s character growth really started and so the scene left a deep impression on them. Another fan commented that they fell for Elliot in this scene and yet another wrote about how this was the scene where Elliot’s kind side came out.)

Volume 8, Chapter 32 - Break’s Scene (When he says: “Don’t try to excuse yourself by saying that you are doing it for someone else’s sake.”)

(General Gist of the Fan’s Comments: A lot of fans just found his words to be very true and deeply touching. So much so that they will store these words away in their hearts, never forget them, and the like.

Volume 8, Chapter 33 – Oz and Echo’s Date Scene (Especially the scene where Oz gives Echo the blue feather and she blushes)

(General Gist of the Fan’s Comments: One fan found Echo’s blushing face when she recieves the blue feather from Oz and he puts in her hair, this fan was also jealous of Oz because of that. Basically all of the comments are just talking about how Oz is cool here and how Echo is cute, especially when she recieves the blue feather from Oz and blushes. Though, one fan did write that they felt that this scene was the turning point for them, after reading it, they knew that there would be no going back on this series.)

Volume 12, Chapter 47 – Unbirthday Scene

(General Gist of the Fan’s Comments: Basically all of the comments are that they love seeing the characters being happy, enjoying themselves (one fan specifically commented on the Oz and Elliot scene, they found it neat/cool to see Elliot and Oz actually talking and hanging out with each other), taking a group photo, and one fan commented that they liked seeing a more “slice-of-life” moment in the midst of such a serious plot and such.)

Continuar lendo

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Pandora Hearts Last Dance extra comic, Elliot’s Story

So… I had typeset this back in…i don’t remember,July? August?

Anyways, it’s translated by @lilyginnyblackv2 and I had typeset it with her permission,but I don’t think I postsd it here.

Back then I wasn’t really good,also I misspelled Vanessa please forgive me :“)

Nonetheless I thought I should post it,though I can’t tell for sure that I’m the first to do it.

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Barma: I want to give you something very valuable

Sheryl: Gold? Diamonds? Securities?

Barma: Love!

Sheryl: Yes, your love is very precious

Shery: Let someone lock him in the treasury

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Vincent: I'm not enough traumatized

Vincent: It's time to become a friend of Break

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Sora: Straight friend groups are like... blonde girl, chad, the funny one, kyle, brunette girl, frat boy.

Sora: Gay friend groups are like... the chosen of the keyblade. Emo warrior. Flower cinnamon roll. Earth, wind and water. Angry clone. Clone cinnamon roll. Flaming flamboyant mom friend. Procrastinating mouse. Cure duck. Goofy.

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Tales of Berseria Analysis - Magilou’s character arc - Contradictions.

And then just one was left…

MAGIKAZAM!!!!!!!!!!!!

Magilou is a difficult character to talk due to the ambiguity in her own character…and while the game and other characters have, also, a grade of ambiguity, most of them come in consequence of the themes they explore …Magilou’s ambiguity, in the other hand, is in her presentation (Because for a big chunk of the game the only thing that we know about her is that she is a “Great Witch”, that she is NOT and exorcist and that she is NOT the traitor, that would be to obvious…

Oh, hi Alvin) 

…and in her persona and in order to read her we need to ask us,; How much truth are in Magilou’s says and actions?

She is an apathetic witch that just stayed to end because she was boring or maybe she had her own agenda?  How much important was Bienfu to her?  She joins Velvet only for the opportunity to find Bienfu or she wanted to use Velvet to generate chaos and destruction for her own selfish reasons? She had a change of heart in some point or she just followed the group to the final battle, just to see how everything ends? She just found the Menagerie interesting or she grew to care for them?

…What is the truth behind Magilou?

It difficult to assure, but, I want to believe that the moments in which she is completely and genuinely honest, without a trace of doubt, are her faces to faces with Melchior, both, in Hexen Isle and in Meirchio (And her scene with the Menagerie before facing Melchior, but that one is far more straight forward that the other two)…and from them, is where we started to build up her true character.

Those are our first direct taste of what Magilou is, no more reads between lines, no more interpretations, no, here she just throws it her own truth…and it’s quite revealing.

Being in an unconscious level or not, Magilou may still have some sort of affection for Melchior (And taking into account how much of a bastard Melchior has been, not only with her, it say something about how much she desires the embrace of a loving family, even if that family have to be Melchior…or Bienfu…and yes there is an optional conversation later with Grimoirh that confirm this but I liked that we also have it in the main story)…but the real gut punches doesn’t come until later.

Magilou is a deeply cynical person, we know that, and she always expects the very worst of people, thing that is pretty in line with the beliefs of the Abbey and Melchior’s teachings. She is very pointy about other people’s flaws, their mistakes, their hypocrisy (Again, the best example here it’s probably her comments to Velvet for treating Phi as a tool or as a replacement for Laphi) and she seems to have developed sort some of enjoyment from that…and she hates it.

Magilou hates herself (Or, at the very least, has a very low opinion of her), Melchior and all of that logic and reason represent.

Her speech in Meirchio let us know about all of her deep anger and resentment against Melchior’s beliefs and her lines about the Menagerie and herself (and Melchior) being different of each other’s let us know how she sees herself and the others…and then you put it together and it’s when really hits home.

She sees herself as someone weak, unfeeling, someone that cannot endure the inherent pain of emotions and has choose to refuge in the comfort of the teaching that she despise but also protect her from that pain…

…a contradiction that she hates and may be the trigger that made her develop her funny persona, as a copping mechanism, and maybe, as way to inject a little of chaos and irrationality in a world she hates.

“…Despite the pain, the anguish, they embrace the life they’ve been given…”

Magilou admires the party and the strength they have and she doesn’t, it’s unlikely that she had decide to follow Velvet right from the begging for this reason, instead she probably developed this deep admiration and respect in some point between TItania  and Aball (I would want to say that she developed her feelings in random moments during the journey and she just don’t fully acknowledge them until Aball when she saw Velvet overcome the same thing that destroy her …it’s pretty vague and I may be overanalyzing the all thing, but the throwaway line in Hexen Isle “if Velvet could do it…there’s no way I can’t”…again, it’s pretty vague, but it just make some much sense to me)…and if you take the “Stab on the chest” line in the context that we were discussing , she may indeed get hurt by the “less that kind” treatment that she receives from the Menagerie from time to time…but that pain is just another part of her emotions, a side that she may be ready to enter  one more time…

“If that’s what you call ‘evil’, then I will live and die with evil as my mantra!”

…but only after she has an emotional close to all her traumas, in the final fight against Melchior.

Even as absolute follower of the ideas of reason and logic, Melchior is finally defeat by his own love by flowers, his own emotions…it was a stupid move for him in that situation, foolish, a completely irrational act that leads him to be devoured by Velvet…I would say myself but I think Magilou said it better.

Hey…master…Emotions are a real pain, aren’t they?

A real pain in deed, but a necessary one…and, most important of all, one that you can’t really throw away, not even the greatest supporters of reason could cut they are attach to the chains of emotion, not totally at least.

Magilou doesn’t change to much after this but, in the same way than Velvet, we can argue that she, at least, has made peace with the contradictions in herself and her own past, and that she has finally started to embrace this side of herself that she left aside long time ago, her own emotions…and this is show specially in the Majelu side quest, trying to avoid that Majelu and Valta walks to the same path that she and Melchior (a kind gesture born just form  pure empathy…and it is very sweet)… and some of the skits post the battle.

Sorry guys but this skit…it just destroys me…it is so beautiful.

Magilou is an incredible character by herself, but she is also one of the final pieces to complete this great map of Emotion Vs Reason that Berseria wants to shows us.

There is a lot of collateral damage product of this ideological clash, but as with all the other character and their respective arcs, Magilou’s perspective is unique. Meanwhile Velvet is much more proactive about her own situation or Phi which took the better aspect of both sides, Magilou is the one that gets ripped apart by this war and finally ostracize from both sides…living as just that, a contradiction…

All the members of the Menagerie are flawed people, they have a lot of troubles and issues in their backs, but most of them were emotionally functional (and when a mean most, I’m talking about of Mid Game Velvet, which goes to really dark places, to darker to called healthy) and then it is  Magilou…just staying there, apathetic to everything and isolated from everyone…growing to give us that genuine laugh at the end of the game…

and then i just realize how much I have grown fond of her character…

It’s funny; actually, how much this all situation reminds me of other of my favorite character, Jade from Tales of the Abyss.

The snarkiest of the main party, with a military past, funny and sarcastic personas that hide a more apathetic and unfeeling side to themselves, an arc mostly centered in the inner change of their views of the world and themselves and a heartwarming friendship with a main character who has an amazing character arc (And don’t get me wrong, both character are completely different, their purpose, their meaning, etc, etc. I was just pointing some similitudes of two characters that I love from a franchise that I also love).

…I consider Jade one of my favorite characters, and I say that in a general sense, he is one of my favorite characters. PERIOD. And when I thing “Holy shit, I may love Magilou even more than Jade” that means that Magilou may just become one of my favorite characters. PERIOD…

Well maybe it’s a little too early to decide that…but what I can assure right now is that Magilou is an incredible character and my absolute favorite in a cast that is already great.

Magilou is amazing, the Menagerie is amazing and this game has been just an incredible experience.

Part 1: Tales Series Retrospective

Part 2: The Elements of a Wonderfull Game

Part 3: Velvet’s character arc - Blindness and toxicity

Part 4: Rokuro’s and Eleanor’s character arc - Obsession and Conflict.

Part 5: Laphicet (Phi)’s and Eizen’s character arcs - Coexistence and Romanticism.

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Tales of Berseria - The Major Arcana (SPOILERS)

0: The Fool – Maotelus/Phi

The Beginning and The End – Infinite Potential – Unaware of the Void

I: The Magician – Magilou Mayvin

Power – Awareness - Consciousness

II: The High Priestess – Silva

Unconscious Awareness – Non Action - Potential

III: The Empress – Medissa

Motherhood – Senses - Love

IV: The Emperor – Artorius Collbrande

Authority – Structure - Regulation

V: The Hierophant – Grimoirh

Education – Identification - Guidance

VI: The Lovers – Oscar Dragonia & Teresa Linares

Commitment – Unity - Values

VII: The Chariot – Zaveid

Self-Assertion – Will – Hard Control

VIII: The Strength – Shigure Rangetsu

Courage – Honor - Resilience

IX: The Hermit – Prince Percival Yil Mid Asgard

Searching – Solitude - Introspection

X: The Wheel of Fortune – Eizen

Destiny – Movement – Personal Vision

XI: The Justice – Eleanor Hume

Fairness – Responsibility - Decisions

XII: The Hanged Man – Seres/Celica Crowe

Letting Go – Suspension Between Life And Death - Sacrifice

XIII: The Death – Kamoana

Transition – Moving Forward - Renewal

XIV: The Temperance – Tabitha Baskerville

Balance – Moderation - Stability

XV: The Devil – Velvet Crowe

Obsession – Manipulation - Struggle

XVI: The Tower – The Crowe Family

Downfall – Sudden Change - Revelation

XVII: The Star – Benwick

Hope – Inspiration - Sincerity

XVIII: The Moon – Melchior Mayvin

Fear – Illusion - Bewilderment

XIX: The Sun – Rokurou Rangetsu

Vitality – Optimism - Certainty

XX: The Judgement – Innominat/Laphicet Crowe

Rebirth – Judgement – Moral Worth

XXI: The World – Kurogane

Significant Accomplishment – Fulfillment - Integration

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Berseria chibis are finally done! (they are all transparent)

Feel free to use as icons! credit would be appreciated but no reposting on other sites please. 

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Inotan but it’s Princess Mononoke style