Michel calling Giselle's breast "Obese Rat" and Maomao calling Jinshi's dick a "Splendid Frog"

Michel 🤝 Maomao

I love these dorks lmao

Context is the same. Its nothing perverted.

One of the most visually appealing trailers for a series, since honestly my last post on Heavenly Delusion. The director for The Apothecary Diaries is Naganuma Norihiro, an extremely talented director who you most likely know from the first season of The Ancient Magus Bride and his many directed works like Hozuki's Coolheadedness or Kimi ni Todoke.

Despite my bias (The Ancient Magus Bride is one of my favorite series of all time), The Ancient Magus Bride anime is an undeniable visual feast that I just can't take my eyes off of, and it has a very similar effect to what this trailer has me entranced by. Vibrant greens show the fantastical world, and even if The Apothecary Diaries isn't exactly a fantasy, there's eye candy everywhere, and the world they live in is so beautiful-looking that you just want to learn more about it. Naganuma makes amazing use of panning shots, which can be seen in the trailer, and in this case, it showcases the many steps of the female protagonist's story and mesmerizes us in it.

He's also great at storyboarding the chibi moments, as can be seen in the trailer or the many, many chibi shots that feel so accurate to the manga in The Ancient Magus Bride. I have extremely high hopes for this series, as I think Naganuma is an immaculate director choice, and I can't wait to see more from it.

However, if I'm ignoring all of that for a second, it is a little weird how large the credit list is for this trailer, as trailers typically don't even have a credit list. People will probably relate this to the Hell's Paradise anime trailer situation, but I have hopes for the production either way.

A Coward Called Endeavor

I'm wary of wading into the discourse because I'm seeing the unhinged bs my friends are getting, but from my viewpoint I think people miss something important about Dabi-Enji-Shouto and Enji's role in saving Touya -

Enji only tried to be an actual father for one of them and it wasn't Shouto.

No, I know that sounds crazy but we had a toddler whose immediate reaction to seeing his father was being upset and alert that the father would bully his mother. Shouto has never seen Enji the Father, he's only seen a monster named Endeavor.

That's important. Natsuo, heck, Fuyumi to some extent since she was really Rei's girl, none of them had this:

We only see this smirk head on in the manga, but I think this anime shot put it into perspective for me what I'd been mulling over for years, too uncomfortable with the simple truth of what's going on here:

The only Todoroki child who had Enji as a father was Touya.

For a brief few years, Touya was the apple of his eye. And, no, he wasn't replaced with Shouto, not in Enji's eyes. Because Enji uses the word livestock for Shouto. Because Enji was an aggressor from the beginning with Shouto. There was never a moment where this simple sort of moment, a little boy looking up into his father's prideful face as he copied his movements, happened between any of Enji's children besides Touya.

That's why Dabi's like this. It's harder for him to forget Endeavor when he isn't Shouto; he was never "an extension" of Endeavor's drive, but for a short period, he was treated as his actual son before he was thrown away.

So - what does this even mean? Why is it important that the only one with an actual "father" until Endeavor got some sense knocked into him via seeing the Pillar of Peace crumble is Touya?

Because it means Todoroki Enji is a fucking coward, that's what.

We know he's ran away from facing his failures time and time again, but never is more indicative of his cowardice when he got too scared to be a father and decided he wouldn't be. You see, that's why the other three didn't have him as a father - he doesn't know what being a father is. It's likely his own father died on the job, and so the associations of fatherhood in Enji's mind are just... being a hero. Being good at your job, so your kids can be proud of you. The actual parenting, the supporting your child, all that was too much for him.

This is Enji giving up, tail between his legs. He doesn't know how to be anything but "Endeavor", so he's not even going to try.

I really feel like people missed Rei calling him out here. He's running away from his duties and responsibilities to be a father. He fucked up with Touya and doesn't know how to fix it, so he runs off, and ignores all his other kids, and then just trains Shouto like a tool and an extension of himself. He lost his mind and saw his youngest as a simple extension of himself, like a hand or a leg. But when he looked at Touya, once, he saw a person.

A person he failed so many times. Failed to father, then failed to save.

I have a lot more to say about this on Dabi's point of view that also discusses the nuances Western readers aren't getting (like the ie system and his place in it), but when people say that they don't think Endeavor needs to do anything in this Dabi-saving discourse, I think they're forgetting that time and time again we've been shown that Todoroki Enji is a coward and if Horikoshi is serious about any resolution to this man and his "redeeming", it's about time he finally stops being one and faces his fucking son.

All of this has been leading up to him realizing it's nothing but himself that has caused this. That his own cowardice and hatred of himself has torn apart his family. That it's not about him as a hero.

These are the words of a man ready to finally start start being a dad, guys. Took him a quarter of a century.

A caveat: many of us have issues on the Doylist aspect of all this. I've said a few times that most of you are less upset about how Endeavor is being redeemed but the fact he's being redeemed at all, and I get it! The question is always about whether we need more narratives in media of abusers getting redemption, of victimized children reconciling with their parents. I agree fully that those of us who choose to not reconcile, who are unable due to the parents' beliefs or decisions anyway, are underrepresented in media. I know we want to see people like Dabi move on, stop hoping for a man who never knew how to show love for him to love him and apologize. Most of us, in real life, just give up and find love and healing outside of our parents. In many ways, it's healthier to go minimal or low contact with parents like Enji.

But I think that's not the story Horikoshi wants to write. He's writing what is essentially a trauma vent-work and wish fufillment all in one. In his fantastical world, families like the Todoroki one can reconcile, abusers can apologize and strive to make amends. It might be because he wishes this was the case more so than the reality that abuse victims know. He's made missteps with the Todoroki narrative yes, but I don't think what amounts to wish fulfillment on Horikoshi's part is bad-writing just because it's wish fufillment. It's just a very "happy-ending" solution to issues that in real life aren't going to usually see them and I think a lot of us are sick of them.

So, just keep that in mind when people say Dabi needs Endeavor involved. Enji created this problem, he has to fix it, not Shouto. You can't have a Touya at peace with his family if Endeavor gets to shirk his responsibility and keep being a coward.

I have a lot of feelings about the themes of mha about saving those failed by society, saving those that cannot save themselves and saving those that don't wish to be saved (most of the time all three). Then I have a lot of feelings about Hawks. About how he was failed by hero society and essentially turned into a child solider for the government. How he cannot save himself because he doesn't think he needs saving; no, not him who tries to carry the burden of hero societies sins on his shoulders. About how he refuses to be saved because again, he thinks he's doing well. He thinks he's fine, he thinks he can be the one to sacrifice himself over and over again to prop up those he thinks can save the world. Then I think about Tokoyami and how he is Keigo's Midoriya. The one unwilling to let him die for a cause he was raised to champion. The one who shows up time and time again and says, no you deserve better, I will save you. The one who looks at Hawks the hero and sees Keigo Takami the person. The one who saved the kid society failed. The kid that couldn't really save himself, the kid that refused to be saved. And then I think about Hawks, wingless, beaten, bleeding dragging his body across the ground to pull Tokoyami into his arms just so he could hold him, hug him, comfort him. Then I think about when the battle came to an end, and the bird hero was grounded, he hugged his hero like he used to hug that plushy of Endeavour so long ago. How he now has a new hero and his name is Fumikage Tokoyami.

Romeo + Juliet (1996) dir. Baz Luhrmann

Oh my god those are heelys

I want people to remember that, iirc, this is still considered the most faithful movie version of Romeo and Juliet

Heelys are based AF

siblings are the only horror protagonists you need

ginger snaps | a tale of two sisters | shrew’s nest | the endless

I GOT A FUCKING RAISE THE POTATO WORKED WTF

This potato works. Every. Fucking. Time.

Then bring me luck

the day after I posted this last time I was notified that I was selected for a really cool mentorship gig and got an unrelated glowing review at work

BABY MIGHT

Hawks is like while I’m here I’ll just get all the family drama 👀

I was making chitchat with the woman who works at the plant nursery and I mentioned that two baby trees I bought the other day aren't doing too well, their leaves are yellowing, maybe I'm watering them too much? what could be behind this phenomenon? and she looked like she was trying to find a gentle way to phrase it but then gave up and just said plainly, "Autumn."

another social interaction that will come back to haunt me at 3am five years from now

The dude who built my childhood home died there in the 90s and then his widow let my parents buy it cheap because she liked my mom and also wanted to get the hell out of there. She left most of her husband’s stuff in the house when she left and that was, I shit you not, roughly 200 hand carved decoy ducks, all of his decoy duck carving materials in his shop, several dozen books on antique duck decoys and around 50 high quality full color books on American made muskets and rifles of the 19th century. His son is apparently a renowned Star Wars prequel trilogy memorabilia collector. Really glad he’s carrying on his dad’s legacy of obsessively perusing his hobbies to the detriment of his marriage.

Actually, it kind of made us sad that his wife didn’t value things that seemed to mean so much to him. She abandoned his two elderly cats when she left too so we inherited them. We ended up displaying some of his best duck decoys in the basement but the majority are still sitting under our shed. You could feel his ghost so keenly in the house, I don’t mean that negatively, he just seemed like a very nice man who was meticulous in his interests and in the construction of the home. Everything reflected that. He also loved Colonial Williamsburg so my childhood home was built with unique Colonial Virginian design details. When I was about 9, my dad found some tapes in the attic, played them out of curiosity and they were footage of him playing with his kids in the snow back in the 70s. I remember that moment because suddenly the specter of the man who designed the house I loved and grew in had a face.

He put so much thought and love into the design of our house, planned to grow old there, raised his children with every advantage he could give them and died of a heart attack in his bathroom while in his early 50s, never got to see the fruits of his labor. But I think me growing in that house, the time my parents and I were happy, I think that honored him. A mean ghost is sad enough but the ghost of a good person is far sadder.

The original percy jackson series is about cycles of abuse and neglect, right. Were introduced to percy as a kid who has clearly been left behind by a school system that has given up on him, restless and unengaged and self-defetist because hes been given nothing that works for him and no one even tries to meet him where he is. Then hes told no, listen, your neurodivergence is amazing and you just need to be given something that actually utilizes your unique palatte. And thats obviously the uplifting idea rick wanted for his kids, right. But once we get to know chb the same cycles are happening there too. There are kids "left behind" there too for one reason or another, because their parents dont want to claim them, because their parents werent important enough to get a cabin. Do you get it, all the kids who dont fit the most common neurotypes get shoved into the same closet. Kids are being left in a cruel world to fend for themselves without the tools they need. Theyre dying because no one bothered to accommodate them. Its such an obvious parallel that the first chapter introduces a teacher whos written to be especially hard on percys disability and she turns out to literally be one of these monsters trying to kill him. Meanwhile sally jackson tells him she named him after Perseus because she wanted a redemption for a hero whos story ended in tragedy. Meanwhile every book in the series replicates a greek myth step for step until the moment they break the cycle. Annabeth, playing Odysseus, is talked down from her hubris and grounded by her friends. Percy, playing Heracles, meets someone wronged by the original Heracles and rights his wrongs by refusing to go down the same selfish path as him. Monsters are reborn because they are--as the books explicitly call them--achetypes. These kids are stuck inside the cyclical nature of mythology because thats what happens to mythology, it gets retold over and over again. But these are the kids who have to live it. The series ends with percy being offered immortality and he rejects it because he wants to use his godly favor to force them to break their cycle of neglecting their kids. The series ends with a declaration that we cant keep letting this happen. The very first book offees the same choice. It ends with percy refusing to keep the head of medusa as a spoil of war, refusing his heroic reward. He lets his mother have the head and use it to kill gabe. Isnt that fucking crazy for a kids book? Gabe wasnt a Monster. He wasnt going to Turn to Dust and Disappear in a narratively convenient way. He was a living breathing mortal dude and percy and his mom killed him without remorse. Break the cycle of abuse!!!! Dont let this happen again!!! Anyway thats why the original percy jackson series is Hey where are you going with our breadsticks

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Episode 1 - Lots To Take In

Bit of a crossroads here with Frieren for me. I'm a huge fan of Satiou's work, and I love Madhouse when they're at their best. But I'm rather critical of some of the aspects of Frieren and it's somewhat overblown popularity. That said, there wasn't any way I was going to miss out on this insane 2 hour special episode, and it's left me with a lot to talk about! Considering the insane length of 2 hours though, I'll try to keep it as short as possible.

Top Ten Manga

It’s been a minute since I last uploaded a top ten of any kind, Grad school will do that to you. However, now with my studies almost over I thought I would revisit my top ten manga and see what new titles have amazed me! 

-Note I am not including Webcomics so if you want Manhwa and the like let me know and I will make a separate list. 

10. Sakamoto Days

Starting off with a bang we have Sakamoto Days. In a world of assassins even a mild mannered fat store clerk could be a tough challenge. That is definitely true for Sakamoto the former top assassin in Japan. Watch as Sakamoto is targeted by Esper’s, Triad members, and old friends as he battles to protect his home and his daughter. It’s a fantastic read and great for the action lover and comedian a like. 

9. Claymore 

Claymore tells the tale of an elite class of women tasked to fight off monsters who plague the land. Clair the last member of this group must protect the peace, her new friend Rakka, and her self. However, dark secrets lurk in this world and the shadowy organization that dispatches the Claymores may not be as kind as they appear. 

8. A Story about a Droid 

I debated about including this because it is such a short read. But it is also a very good and cute read. This story is about a droid who finds a baby and decides to take care of him. In order to care for the child the droid puts on a human disguise. The story follows the droid and her child as she raises him in a post apocalyptic world. 

7. Berserk

RIP Muria I will always be heartbroken that you passed before finishing this wonder of a story. This manga has always been one of my favorites and for good reason. The art is fantastic, the story is gripping, and the characters are dynamic. However, this manga is shocking, cruel, and depressing- not for the faint of heart. 

6. Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki Kun

Monthly Girls Nozaki is the tale of a girl in love. Chiyo has been in love with Nozaki for a while and she finally decides that she has had enough. Working up the courage she confesses to him, only for him to give her an autograph. Turns out her class mate is world famous in the realm of shoujo manga and has never been in love. Chiyo’s confession goes right over his head leaving her dumbfounded but not hopeless. This manga is a great romantic comedy including some of my favorite characters in fiction. Definitely worth a read if you want to laugh a night away. 

5. Dungeon Meshi

Have you ever been playing DnD and been like “hmmm I wonder what a Mimic tastes like?” If so I have the manga for you! Dungeon Meshi or delicious in dungeon follows a group of adventures as they venture into a dungeon to save the main character Laos’s sister. However, with no supplies they are forced to eat their way through to survive, much to the disdain of the party except for Laos he loves it. 

4. Sousou No Frienen

We all know elves live a long time but sometimes it doesn’t hit an elf until they have seen their old comrades fade away. Frenen is old even and has wandered the world in search of rare magic, and I mean rare not necessarily useful. Only after being recruited to aid the hero’s party and defeating the demon king does she come to realize that human relationships are complex and that time is fleeting. This is a great fantasy manga with great magic and quirky characters as I write this I am rereading the manga for the fourth time. 

3. Yotsubato!

Man aren’t five year old’s hectic little animals?! Yotsuba is a young girl in a new neighborhood who isn’t afraid to wander off, get into trouble, or of anything except for maybe scary statues. This manga follows her life with her dad living every day to the fullest. If you are feeling down this is a great pick me up. I reread during finals and it really helped. 

2. Tongari Boss/ Witch Hat Alter

Witches are born with the ability to use magic and normal people aren’t. At least that’s what they say but what happens when a young girl gets a glimpse at the secret of magic. What if the reason magic is solely for witches because of the great danger magic can place not only yourself but the world in. Witch hat alter is one of the best fantasy manga out there right now and I want the next chapter to come out already!!!

1. Chainsaw Man

I remember the conversation that led me to read chainsaw man years ago. It went something like 

“Hey dude you should totally read this manga it’s badass!”

“Really? What’s it about?”

Insert a few seconds of silence 

“Well.. It’s about a dude who turns into a chainsaw and kills devils” 

“That’s insane” 

“Trust me it’s sooo good you have to try it! It has a section where he rides a shark into battle while on fire!” 

And with that fateful line I decided to give it a read. All I can say is thank you for telling me to read it because I love this manga. It is so funny, and crazy, and sad, and mind bending, and so many other things. I never thought a story about a dude who literally has a chainsaw growing out of his face would make me cry but life works in funny ways. 

Well that’s my list. I hope you find some of these recommendations helpful. If you have any questions, or want more let me know!! Have a great Summer!

I was hoping that they would at least keep the "knowledge is a swole chihuahua" thing bc it's funnier, but i didn't expect the "no leash power" I was hoping for something close like "chihuahua power!?"

Yuri said 知は力(だ) "Chi wa chikara (da)" which is "knowledge is power"

Anya misheard it as ちわわじから "chiwawa jikara" (she mispronounced chikara as jikara btw), so she ended up saying "chihuahua power".

Eden AU.

He’s student council president/ imperial scholar/ everyone’s friend and crush. She’s.. Yor. But they live on the same block and happen to have younger siblings (Anya’s Loid’s little sister) and by sheer coincidence they bumped into each other picking up their siblings and it’s become a regular thing and he’s very busy so she ends up babysitting Anya but nobody else knows and uh yeah?

Anyway here u go

Scrappy kid in the jaws of defeat // Oct 3.