My Most Beautiful Gorgeous Prince

the sun's shadow

I MISS THEM SO MUCH...KUSANAGI BRING THEM HOME

save me HHB arc, HHB arc save me

supplies: assorted pen/marker, clip studio

i really do think hakyona is the perfect example of a slowburn. the pining, the angst, the 100+ chapters until a confession. kusanagi wrote peak slowburn and i will always be grateful.

don’t forget 3.oct.11

just read chapter 40 of witch hat atelier and my initial reaction was, "what the hell just happened?" but after rereading it, i think i've come to better understand qifrey's motives.

before it happens, qifrey starts to talk about how happy he is teaching the girls magic. he's at peace in his atelier, living and taking care of the four girls alongside olruggio but he still hasn't let go of what happened in his youth. in fact, the peacefulness he feels every day has made his uneasiness worse. now it isn't only just him that could be hurt. it's his precious students and olruggio that he has to lose now. there's much more at stake than there was before.

so while he begins to confess the truth, he doesn't allow olruggio to keep his memories. qifrey's trauma still haunts him even at his happiest. for some people, they would leave the horrible things in the past to enjoy the good they have in the present. but for qifrey it's an impossible thing to do. it would be so much better to have at least ONE person to confide to and have support you, but qifrey doesn't allow it. it's completely irrational and bound to create problems in the future, but it shows how far qifrey is willing to go to achieve his goal. he CHOOSES to look for answers all on his own knowing the path will be difficult.

qifrey is someone the girls look up to; we see him as a cheerful guy who is someone we can count on. but this chapter showed us that he's still that child searching for answers. it doesn't matter how much time has passed or how much wiser or stronger he has become; he can never move on from his past until he stops the brimmed caps' plan.

i wish qifrey acted in some other way or allowed himself to lean on olruggio but it adds more to his character. he's complicated; he has his own agenda, yet his love for the people in his life is undeniable. he will stop at nothing to find answers but won't endanger his loved ones to get them. this chapter was so well done, and i'm excited to see where this takes the story!

i loved this!! very nice to revisit this chapter through your eyes! and all the foreshadowing kusanagi writes is insane!! akayona is so perfect

Yona of the Dawn Chapter 12

The Valley that The Voice of God Calls

Enter Ik-Soo and (more officially now) Yoon! Previously Soo-Won rejected the gods in favor of the power of the people, establishing an ongoing theme of gods/heavens vs. humans + old ways vs. new.

"I want the power of people, not god" 

"I will restore the Kingdom of Kouka to the strength and glory it possessed...anything that stands in my way...even the heavens...will be crushed"

Now–through Ik-Soo, the subject of priests, and the prophecy–we get more about these topics. Ik-Soo presents himself as someone who shares the voice of god–who knows all that is happening and will happen in the world–with the people. In learning more about why the priests were kicked out of the palace temple and arrested or executed, Yona is told that the priests were once deeply involved in political matters with "an authority even the king couldn't overrule," meaning they could pretty much do anything and justify it as "the wrath of god." Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

We’re told Soo-Won's father was focused on expanding Kouka and perceived the priests as a threat to that goal and the crown's power in general, so he got rid of them. Is the expansion of Kouka by annexing other countries' territory a good thing or a bad thing?

As with the once authority of the priests, this information is presented somewhat neutrally rather than ascribed a moral position. Interesting! As it is, Ik-Soo is seen as "good" while Soo-Won and his father are more aligned with "bad," but they are also clear individuals not representative of entire groups. Arguments both in favor and against their point of views and actions are easily understood. Right now this feels more like an exploration of an idea instead of a definitive stance, but we shall see where it all goes.

Expansion of Kouka's territory and power seems like a good thing for Kouka but that does not necessarily mean it is morally  good. And the tangled history of priests and war (and what we haven't learned yet) has led to a country in which "the towns are packed with poor people" and "a few folks in the capital are the only ones who're well-off." Things are not good.

This history lesson comes from Yoon, whose resentment of royalty and nobility is something he takes out on Yona. But though ashamed of her ignorance and saddened by the state of Kouka, Yona takes Yoon's criticisms in stride and actively seeks out the knowledge she lacks. 

Ik-Soo and Yoon's personalities and characters are made very clear to the reader through their words and actions–this is a very good introduction to them–and likewise, Yona's character and growth are made clear through hers. After her symbolic death, she is like a small child learning about the world for the first time. Her tiny world was shattered and now she's learning about the larger world that her father and her status kept from her.

Along with death/rebirth, the hair symbolism also continues for Yona. Cutting her hair was like a rebirth and an establishment of distance from Soo-Won and her past. But as Hak notes, she is still holding on tightly to the hairpin–she is surely growing but hasn't fully let go. She also can't completely shed how her past and upbringing shaped her. She crossed over to a new world but is bringing some baggage!

And speaking of Hak, their dynamic continues, but with their near-death experience and all that has happened, that dynamic comes with an increased closeness and care. Yona's expression of that closeness and care gets to Hak, but she remains oblivious to his feelings. But even if she doesn't get things on the romantic end, Hak is intensely important to her and part of her goals.

"I need you right here with me"

"I wanted to live. I wasn't going to let anyone take away my life, or Hak's. That's all I wish for right now"

(they are also just adorable here)

Seeds of a larger goal to help Kouka and its people have been planted, but for now, Yona has shifted from barely surviving to wanting to live and her focus is on preventing the death of another loved one. Like Soo-Won, she rejects god in this moment. As she has decided what she wants, she does "not see much point in asking god" what her path should be.

However, as Ik-Soo states–for Yona, "living means calling up a storm that will shake Kouka to its very foundation." Her "burning blood...can't be controlled"–if she is to live, she cannot live a normal life. There is something inherent to her that makes it impossible; her very existence will cause change. So along with Yona's personal goals, there is a larger fate being established for her.

trio sketches

what i love about haikyuu is how realistic and human it is. not everyone continued with volleyball; some characters had to take longer than others to make their dreams come true, while some achieved their dreams much sooner. hinata & oikawa moved across the world to become better players and that difficult decision paid off in the end!! and some characters, like kageyama, knew what they wanted since they were kids and stayed dedicated for years. every person had their own path and dreams, and it all came true! no matter how long or short their journey was, each character achieved something great in the end. haikyuu is just so beautiul and moving, and i'm so grateful it exists!!!!

hxh ep 85: “gon, you are light”

this episode was just so heartbreaking but so good. killua loves gon so much. while killua thinks of how unqualified and weak he is, there’s gon being a positive force of energy. and killua doesn’t believe he deserves it. oh my god this scene destroyed me. killua felt so much guilt over what he did even though it was in their best interest AND kite wanted them to go. killua beats himself up over his decision and gon responds with kindness. THIS EPISODE WAS JUST SO WELL DONE AND WELL WRITTEN I CAN NOT GET OVER IT. i watched it last night and i'm STILL thinking about it.

i love love so much!!!! i love shipping!!! i love characters finding their soulmates!!! i love when characters discover their feelings! it’s so beautiful to watch and read about! love is so special and valuable to us all!