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trickstarbrave · 1 year

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Hello! I am here to inform you that I would happily read a 10 page essay about Alduin's Bane. Spoilers are a highlight. Your Elder Scrolls lore is incredible and I am frothing at the mouth for more.

oh man now i have decision paralysis i have so much to talk about given the fic is over 150k (somehow. i cant believe i wrote that much) uhhhhhh im just gonna give some bullet points of what i can think of

>originally was going to just be a oneshot centered around the past that would have been the first 3-ish chapters but i liked it so much i had continued it

>hell i had debated actually naming eyja or not for a while lol

>originally fengr wasn't going to be in the story, but i actually liked him the more i thought about him. he is supposed to be the archtypical box art "dragonborn" bethesda markets (except two handed weapons instead of dual wielding). i thought he made a good foil and could help drive some of the character development and give eyja more to connect her to the world and also because i wanted to use him as a foil for another character

>i did intend for sheogorath to be the champion of cyrodiil. not everyone agrees with this theory but i liked it. i also hope i did a better job making the quest more interesting. i was really proud of connecting the weird, seemingly disjointed dream world quests to our main character's psyche and problems rather than being just a cheap joke

>i also LOVE sanguine if you couldn't tell. writing him was some of my favorite stuff. genuine chaos and debauchery. he technically had the right idea

>i had a big plan in mind for a side plot where The Gang currently (fengr, serana, eyja, alduin) run into cicero and the listener who were tasked with assassinating the dragonborn and instead ask for their help to take down astrid who they know is planning on turning on them. this was going to lead to a full blown assassination of the current emperor, but for the life of me i couldn't think of a satisfactory way to connect the plot to the rest of the story without feeling like i was forcing a block through a circular hole so it has been indefinitely tabled. if it makes it back in the story then it does but so far i'm not planning on it. but if you're wondering what happened to our dear little jester he is off helping rebuild the dark brotherhood with his wood elf listener

>in my fic to be mentioned later alduin actually got so angry he ripped off solstheim as a provide from mainland skyrim and flung it off into the ocean during a big ass battle

>i remember some ppl saying alduin could be akin to shiva. whether or not you like this idea or think it is credible i was a lil inspired by the myths of sati and parvati in the loosest of ways

>im still very proud that i made bleakfalls barrow originally designed and built to be eyja's tomb. in functions VERY much as a tutorial dungeon in many aspects with like blatant plot hooks in the form of the dragon stone and word wall that we just dont see in other tombs. not to mention it is very large and in your face, something you expect to be of bigger importance, and delphine wanted the dragon stone for some unexplained reason, so. head dragon priest's tomb it is. but alduin wouldn't actually let her be buried there, which only lead to credence to the mainstream belief that konahrik had defected or betrayed alduin and he had killed her in a rage.

>how she got the mask i just realized i never explained. basically my bullshit reason was she owns the mask. the mask was sealed off to wait for a new owner if one ever came, and then was lost to time. dragon priests arent really supposed to "die" in my telling of events so she got the mask by wandering in and it opened up for her assuming she was the original owner here to claim it. it does not do this for literally anyone else

>alduin kind of fucking sucked at sex. i hint at this in several ways but in their first lifetime he just fucking sucked at it. i cannot fully stress how just bad and clumsy he was. this immortal dragon god of the end of time was a complete virgin and it showed. if it wasn't for the fact he was a god she adored i dont think eyja would have put up with it. but luckily she taught him better.

>they were together i estimate in the ballpark of 60 years prior to her being killed. a very fun time for the people of skyrim given alduin wasnt randomly flying overhead to munch on them

>i wanna work more on serana and alduin's dynamic bc i think it is very funny. she's gotten over her panic into just normal rational fear and questioning her sanity of "wait the actual dragon god??? thats who im traveling with????"

>as far as dragon priests knew it was an open secret eyja and alduin were fucking. the general public didnt know but most of the priests knew. and most of the dragons but they were more confused by the concept of actually having sex which seemed weird in general

actual big spoilers under the cut for people who dont wanna see:

>fengr is, in the next little mini arc we're about to do with curing lycanthrope, about to be revealed as also a dragonborn. i like to imagine that was akatosh's back up plan or something. i wont reveal all of what the revelation entails to keep that fun and exciting

>also to be mentioned: molag bal has beef with alduin and eyja because her mask is actually made of daedric ivory. alduin went "i need a cooler material for her mask to be made out of" and went all the way to a realm of oblivion to kill one of molag bal's big ass daedra. this has lead to much of molag bal's beef with dragons

>several members of the thalmor were investigating the masks (this is canon) and took a particular interest in both eyja's and the time traveling unnamed mask. this wooden mask alduin had made in hopes it could bring eyja back (it failed)

>back to the sati and parvati myths uhhhh part of that has translated to miraak and his motivations. i hope you didn't have "miraak is past life eyja's ex" on your bingo card because you will not be able to check that off. miraak was her father.

>in that regard i had to think a lot about how having kids would be handled by dragon priests. i dont see miraak actually raising any children he had, and he probably had a variety of concubines and wives to sleep with as i imagine most of the other dragon priests did, but no time to actually get attached. so she probably only had some status and little interactions with him prior to this, but boy was miraak mad he couldnt just use her influence for his own gain. idk if i will get to mention all this part in my fic lol

>finding out one of his kids actually inherited his abilities led him down the path to trying to understand what dragonborn were. he thought he was a strange, special existence, but finding out there were more people like him made him wanna find out how they worked. this also invariably led to him experimenting on several of eyja's multitude of half siblings that died prior to him getting his hands on her. also prob wont get to mention all this in the fic

>in this vein i had the idea to make vahlok eyja's other parent but i didn't think it did much for the story so. i might go in the way of "helpful mentor" or just that he didnt fucking suck

#i will add more as i think of them i just got off my work break #alduin #my fic #the elder scrolls #elder scrolls fanfic #eyja

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tsunflowers · 4 years

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no one asked or cares but I did finally match songs to all my idol ocs so I will be sharing those with you

basically they are inspired by underrated (? maybe not) idol anime akb0048, I never gave them a unit name and just refer to them as “space idols.” officially they travel between planets and space stations performing concerts but secretly they also smuggle items and information into areas that have harsh governments. all their names are stage names/codenames so I haven’t thought about surnames for them. also I didn’t draw these I made them in a dollmaker

ako - accha koccha game (idol time pripara)

ako’s a dancer who puts on really energetic performances with a lot of audience interaction. I think her voice is probably a little less cute than nino’s but the energy of this performances matches the energy I imagine for ako. ako’s one of the original members of the group and was chosen for her heartwarming backstory of growing up on an impoverished planet rather than a specific skill that would aid in their secret espionage mission. she’s very engaged with fans and usually wears a handmade item from a fan in every performance. she’s part of the main trio with hime and yuki

izumi - identity (aikatsu friends)

izumi was really hard for me to place bc she has more of an adult image than most anime idols but is also quirky and silly. so I went with the quirky image for her and matched her to mirai’s song about how it’s good to be weird. I hate the outfit in this performance and it doesn’t suit izumi anyway but the vocals and dance are good. izumi joined the group in the second wave once the main trio had gotten some popularity and while she’s a great singer and looks good in everything she is also an engineer who specializes in a) robots and b) breaking into places. she’s a trans woman with cool big sis energy and is dating hikari. the two of them are in robo trio along with ayame

hikari - cutie breakin’ (prichan)

cutie breakin’ was the first boyish idol song that came to mind and it suits hikari bc their specialty is dance. I can’t see them wearing a joutfit like suzu does though. they joined in the second wave as a hacker and intended to stay offstage as much as possible but they came to really enjoy dance to their surprise. the idol image isn’t really for them so they tend to look annoyed when dolled up for concerts and photoshoots but some fans think that adds to their charm. they’re nb and dating izumi, and they’re in robo trio with her and ayame

ayame - dream colored energy (prichan)

I picked this song for ayame mostly based on the lyrics about being a guiding presence and helping others but I think rinka’s soft voice suits her. ayame is the one who gives robo trio their name bc she herself is a robot. btw robo trio is not an official or even a fan nickname, it’s a nickname used by me and the idols themselves bc ayame being a robot is a secret. there are not a lot of lifelike humanoid robots in the setting and since ayame was liberated from someone who bought a robot that looks identical to a human woman for nefarious reasons they just pass her off as a human. it’s working pretty well bc no one expects you to steal a state of the art robot and put her in a popular girl group, especially without advertising her as being a robot. she’s really sweet and caring with mom energy but she can be super weird about it bc she’s fascinated by human bodies

yuki - do you remember love? (macross)

I was like “i cant just say my character is voiced by iijima mari” but for yuki I definitely imagine her having the voice of a retro idol and one whose voice is soft but resonant. lynn minmay was the first character I could think of fitting that description. yuki’s the vocals of the original trio and has a surprisingly arresting stage presence on her own but prefers to fade into the background a bit when performing in a group. she, ako, and hime actually grew up in an orphanage on the same planet and were already friends before joining the group. she’s pretty quiet unless you get her going on one of her favorite subjects, namely her hobby of building and collecting figures. everyone else is always arguing about whether or not they can let her talk about it openly to fans bc they don’t want nerdboy fans to latch onto her in gross ways but also they are sick of hiding her gunpla every time they do “backstage” videos

aoi - I am the best (2NE1)

aoi is kind of the main character to me. she was the last to join and they tried to market her as a naive new girl briefly before realizing that she is loud and knows too much so they just let her be annoying and sexy. since she has a sexy image I had to go for something outside idol anime but I don’t know any idol music so I had to go for this one which is iconic to me. idk if aoi would wear any of the outfits in this mv but she would certainly rap about being the best. her previous dance experience was actually all ballet so she loves to pull out ballet moves with no warning. her defining character trait is that she has fun. although she also has a darkness to her past bc when her mom fucking died she revealed that she had been one of the secret donors behind this idol espionage project and she wanted her daughter to help with the project any way she could so of course aoi was like “I will dance in stiletto heels and high waisted shorts. to honor my mother’s memory.” shes in chill/newbie trio with tsuki and rie

tsuki - dreaming bird (aikatsu stars)

I also thought about a yurika song for tsuki but yurika has a rock edge that tsuki lacks. tsuki is a singer above all else and has a powerful voice. she can dance but she prefers to simply stand onstage and sing. her family was really rich with millions of credits or whatever but they lost their entire business in a spaceship fire during which tsuki was trapped under burning wreckage and ended up damaging her legs and lungs. now she’s a cool cyborg with artificial lungs that let her sing without breathing but she has no money and no family. so she was like “I’ll make it big using my one talent!” and ended up getting noticed by the space idol project

hime - open your heart (aikatsu friends)

hime may not be the protagonist in my eyes but she has the energy of an idol anime protagonist and is the glue holding this group together. so I had to pick a protagonist solo for her. she probably has that kind of cute singing voice too. I liked the lyrics to this one so I picked it. hime is kind and loving in a way that’s kind of unreal. she’s always positive bc she’s like “I got out of the rough situation I grew up in, I made eight great friends, I have literally millions of fans, how can I not be grateful?” her quirk is to always wear a crown. she was picked to be the center of the group at the very start and that hasn’t changed. she is the center of the nine person group as well as the main trio

rie - hip (mamamoo)

rie’s another one who’s too cool and sexy to get an idol anime song so I gave her a kpop song I know and like. it’s really catchy and danceable and I think rie would wear pretty much any of the outfits in the mv. rie is actually mostly paralyzed and primarily interacts with the world through an experimental robot izumi built that’s basically a mobile hologram projector. either she can control the exact movements of the robot while making pre-programmed gestures with the hologram or have the robot stand still or follow a programmed path while controlling the hologram as she would a real body but she’s become really adept at using it. she’s really stylish and loves designing clothes for everyone but she has to be extra careful about her own so the accessories don’t clip through her body while onstage

#long post under cut

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comicteaparty · 5 years

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August 5th-August 11th, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from August 5th, 2019 to August 11th, 2019. The chat focused on Beyond Bloom by NiaNook.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Week Long Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Beyond Bloom by NiaNook~! (http://beyondbloom.webcomic.ws/)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Remember, though, that while we allow constructive criticism, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic. Below you will find four questions to get you started on the discussion. However, a new question will be posted and pinned everyday (between 12:01AM and 6AM PDT), so keep checking back for more! You have until August 11th to tell us all your wonderful thoughts! With that established, let’s get going on the reading and the chatting!

QUESTION 1. What has been your favorite scene in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it?

QUESTION 2. In what ways do you think Yokiro will find a way to be helpful to Tatsuma and Sikue (if any)? Overall, how do you foresee him growing and changing as a person over the course of his journey?

snuffysam

1. Hmm... I'd say the burning building rescue from Book 3. I loved seeing Tatsuma putting aside her hangups and actually helping people for once - even if she claimed she was only doing so to protect Sikue. And I loved the frank conversation Tatsuma and Yokiro had on the cliffside after the fact. I also really like this scene http://beyondbloom.webcomic.ws/comics/120/ of Sikue and the fireflies. It's just such a cute interaction between Sikue and Yokiro! 2. I think he's already been helpful - he's taught them about humanity. Though I would love if during the final encounter with the big bad benta boss Yokiro saves the day using his fishing skills XD

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor?

QUESTION 4. What do you think makes Tatsuma and Sikue special compared to the other benta? Besides their powers, in what ways do you think the physical nature or symbolism of the flowers they are might come into play in the story?

ShaRose49

My favourite scene was probably the scene where they fight Ginari and Evalkol—it showed that the three main characters are loyal to each other even when they disagree, and it was really cool to see so many characters in action

Yokiro’s been super kind and awesome to the girls!

RebelVampire

QUESTION 5. What has been your favorite illustration in the comic so far? What specifically about it do you like?

QUESTION 6. Do you think Tatsuma, Sikue, and even Yokiro will find some way to feel like they belong and fit in with the rest of the world? If so, how do you see this happening? Overall, what can the story teach us about what it means to belong?

RebelVampire

1) My favorite scene is probably the one where Yokiro caught Sikue playing with bugs and dancing...and then falling flat on her fact. Not only were the illustrations really beautiful, but I liked the blend of cute, comedy, and...mysticism for lack of a better word. It really sticks with me cause I think it was such a great bonding moment between the characters despite nothing of immense significance happening. 2) I have to agree with @snuffysam on this. I think Yokiro has already been kind of helpful. Not just in teaching them about humanity and how humanity isn't awful, but also by being the most practical between them. Cause like he thought of the toothbrushes (not that they for sure need it, but its the thought that counts). Of course, I think Yokiro might find other ways to help. Like maybe learn to hit people with a giant stick. I do think through the journey though Yokiro is gonna find his calling though. Maybe as just some charity guy who helps ppl. Opens an orphanage. Something like that.

3) My favorite character is probably Sikue if for no other reason than I like her design. Shes really cute but also has this sort of elegance about her despite the circumstances. Plus, between the three, I'd characterize Sikue as the hope of the group since shes caring, considerate, etc. I guess in otherwords, she's the glue that keeps the train going. 4) From what we've seen so far, it seems the others are based on animals, versus Tatsuma and Sikue who were plants. So a lot more might have gone into them, thus giving them access to more special abilities. However, I think that story about them being eternity flowers has a lot to do with it. Maybe they're strong just because their natures are so entertwined. So in a way nothing they cant conquer as long as theyre together.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 7. Which characters do you enjoy seeing interact the most? What about their dynamic interests you?

QUESTION 8. Do you believe that Ginari will remain with the Keeper despite having misgivings? Why or why not? Also, do you think that Ginari will forgive Tatsuma and Sikue for killing her dragon? How will this affect her overall feeling towards them?

RebelVampire

5) As partly mentioned, my fave illustration is definitely this huge panel one of Sikue, Yokiro, and the fireflies. http://beyondbloom.webcomic.ws/comics/125/ The combination between the night sky and fireflies is breathtaking, and the angle really sells the beauty of it to me. 6) I do think the three will find some way to belong in the world, but a long time from now and eventually. The feeling of belonging, imo, is one that comes from confidence and self-acceptance. And I kind of don't think any of them are even close to that mental juncture. They're still asking who they are, why they exist, what should they do with themselves, etc. And these are the sorts of feelings that will make you feel isolated even if you have a large community who likes you all around you. Which I guess, this is what I think the story will teach us about what it means to belong. It doesn't mean fitting in, it doesn't necessarily even mean having a large community. Belonging is something that is just as much about loving yourself for the good and the bad and having the confidence that no one can tell you otherwise.

NiaNook

@RebelVampire Aww, will not confirm or deny, but your 6th point got me feeling all mushy :')

Been fun reading your guys' thoughts, thank you! And Snuffysam suggesting Yokiro saves the day with his fishing skills; LOL! He'll cast that line right in the bad guy's face!

RebelVampire

QUESTION 9. What sorts of art or story details have you noticed in the way the comic is crafted that you think deserves attention?

QUESTION 10. Why do you think the benta were created in the first place? In other words, what is the Keeper’s ultimate end goal? How do you think the Keeper intends to capture Tatsuma and Sikue, and what would happen to them in that situation?

RebelVampire

7) I probably like seeing Sikue and Yokiro interact the most. I like seeing how Yokiro is help expose other sides to Sikue, since Sikue is a lot less forward about stuff than Tatsuma. Thus, it's like getting to delve into a mystery. 8) I think Ginari is gonna stay pretty loyal to the Keeper, if only because of the answer to the next question. I don't think Ginari will ever forgive them for killing her dragon, because she'd also have to forgive herself. Thus, she will always have a grudge against them even if she somehow left the Keeper. Honestly, if she doesn't wind up dying a tragic death, I will be super duper surprised. >_>;;;;

9) I appreciate the balance of nature. Since the story features them traveling in a lot of forests, it's there a lot. However, it's not always super detailed or super obviously present. Like sometimes it's simplified and cut back, whereas other times it takes up a good chunk of the panel and is super detailed. I think this works really well, though, as it allows the nature to functionally add atmosphere to key moments, whether isolation, mysticism, or something else needs to be conveyed. 10) Ya know, I'm not sure the Keeper has an end goal. Maybe the Keeper just wants to prove what true power is or something like that. I do think regardless of goals, part of the creationg was derived just from the idea that the Keeper thought they could do it. And when you can do something, why not do it? I think the Keeper intends to trick them into coming by making them desire answers to question with the assumption the Keeper knows the answers. As for outcome, ya know, abuse their powers to do jerk things. The usual.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 11. What do you think are this particular comic’s strengths? What do you think makes this comic unique? Please elaborate.

QUESTION 12. Do you feel Yokiro’s handling of the thief Kenber was the best? Why or why not? How does Yokiro’s desire to forgive Kenber tie into his speech about the world being filled with different kinds of people? What we can learn about forgiveness with the story?

ShaRose49

This comic is unique in that even though it focuses on super-powered beings, the story doesn’t have a lot of fighting, instead it’s more like a casual adventure story following the journey of three characters and every once in awhile goes to some mysterious anti-heroes and bad guys. Nobody take insult from this but it actually reminds me of the original Ice Age movie. (I love that movie so I don’t mean it in a bad way)(edited)

I also think the art is unique and I admire it a lot

I think since Kenber didn’t seem to be super dangerous and I don’t even know if they have police in this world—I think what he (Yokiro) did was pretty okay, especially since Kenber is just a kid. You definitely would need to use discretion with stuff like that IRL though(edited)

RebelVampire

QUESTION 13. What are you most looking forward to in the comic? Also, do you have any final thoughts to share overall?

QUESTION 14. Who do you think the lady we saw in a flashback was? How did Tatsuma and Sikue wind up with her? Also, how does this factor in to Tatsuma and Sikue ultimately being cast out (possibly due to a fire)?

RebelVampire

11) I think the comic's strengths lie in the characters. The designs are really clean and stand out against each other. There's also interesting elements incoporated to reflect the plant and animal natures. The intereactions are also a lot of fun and come with both drama and comedy, so the comic has a little something for everyone. 12) I have mixed feelings about Yokiro's handling of it. I think it's nice, but I also think eventually that forgiving nature is gonna bite him in the butt. Cause sometimes second chances just explode and it doesn't work as well as it did in that specific scenario. However, I think it's a good message about how all people are different and just cause our first impression isnt good, it could change if we take the time to get to know someone. And I think that is the takeaway of the story in terms of forgiveness. Not all the time, but sometimes it's worth trying to understand why someone would do something awful.

13) I am looking forward to seeing Yokiro grow and evolve more and what he'll contribute to the group some more. I'm always fascinated by the dynamics between super powered people and then the non-super powered companions, cause theres a lot of emotional exploration of inferiority complexes available there. 14) I assume the lady was just some random lady who found Tatsuma and Sikue and took them in because the lady seemed nice. And I assume they caused a fire, lady died, everyone blamed them. Or something like that. I'm taking Occam's Razor with this one and assume it's the most common assumption.

snuffysam

maybe the lady started the fire!

my final thoughts to share are... this comic is incredible. truly incredible. a lovable cast of characters at every level, and downright stunning art pieces. keep at it, nia~!

Free iPod

Didn't have time to get to every question, but here are some responses! 1) The part in Book 4 where Yokiro and Sikue meet in the forest stands out. It's a simple moment, but it feels very important. The illustration complements the emotions of the scene perfectly - as these two characters are starting to open up to each other for the first time, the black and white page blooms (lol pun) into color and the panels drift into a more loose and organic arrangement. It's super well done. 2) In a way, he's helpful because he's someone who they can trust. The three of them share the experience of being somewhat isolated from the world at large, so I think that they all benefit from knowing each other. Yokiro is definitely helpful when dealing with people, but I think that he's still conflicted about leaving his old life behind. He mentioned at one point that he had a family, so I wouldn't be surprised if he runs into them eventually. 3) It's hard to choose, but Tatsuma is my fave. I like how she's tough and prone to messing around a lot of the time, but she's very determined to protect the people she cares about. With the fire in the village and in the situation with Kenber, she believed that it would be smarter to stay out of trouble, but she was willing to jump in without hesitation to help Sikue and Yokiro. 5) The first page of Book 3. Its portrayal of dialectical exchange between two legendary philosophers is simply astounding. :3

8) I think that she will, at least for a while. I don't think that she'd want to abandon the other benta. She was genuinely concerned for Mae's wellbeing, and she got along well with Elvalkol for the most part. It seems like she has some personal history with the Keeper - their interactions were a bit more familiar than what you'd expect if they were just a boss and his lieutenant, and since she's apparently opposed to what he's doing, she might try to confront him at some point. It's hard to imagine her forgiving Tatsuma and Sikue. Aside from killing her dragon, the two may have some importance to the Keeper's plans. 9) I agree with RebelVampire, the forest backgrounds are always nice and complementary to the atmosphere. The sound effects represented as words (...idk what they're called, onomatopoeias?) are used to a good effect too. They're never just the usual generic sound effects, they always seem custom-tailored to each specific situation. :D 11) The characters are a fantastic aspect of the comic. The dynamic between the main three makes it so fun to read. Also, the comic is good at presenting little insights and hints about the world throughout the characters' journey. It's kinda hard to explain, but the world feels very 'alive' and vibrant. 12) Yokiro was patient and demonstrated good will with Kenber, and it seemed to make a real impression on the kid, so it's hard not to view what he did as commendable. I really liked that arc. 13) I'm excited to potentially see the benta settlement. It sounds like a decent place from Elvalkol's description, but I wonder what's it really like with the Keeper in charge? Seeing Yokiro's family would be cool as well. Anyways, final thoughts: this comic really does feel special in a way. The characters are memorable, and all of the different parts of it are treated with care.

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Beyond Bloom this week! Please also give a special thank you to NiaNook for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Beyond Bloom, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: http://beyondbloom.webcomic.ws/

#ctparchive #comics #webcomics #indie comics #comic chat #comic discussion #comic tea party #ctp #beyond bloom #nianook #book club #bookclub #webcomic book club #webcomic bookclub

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meowsaidmayaanime · 6 years

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What I'm Watching August 2016 as of 8/31

Natsume's Book of Friends 8/31 partial watch

This is an adorable anime, I started watching italmost right after Durarara, and if school hadnt just started this week, I would have been fully caught up. As of this post I have only watched seasons 1 and 2 fully, and a little bit of season 3. So in technicality I will write my opinion of it after I am all caught up on the September monthly watches, but because I got halfway through the series while still in August I decided to put this little note here, haha.

So yes, I have been watching this super cute, heartwarming, feel good anime. It's about a boy named Natsume who can see yokai. Often times I get very weary about plots (whether anime, tv show, movie, ect) where the main character can see something no one else can. However this anime does a good job focusing more on the stories rather than simply torturing the main character through ostracization. Well, I will pick this first impression review that I usually do in September when I finish the four season that have been released. So look forward to it!

Durarara 8/27 Addendum (see original post below Time of Eve)

I talked about this anime a little further down in this post after I finished the first season (so read that first if you haven't yet). I finished the entirety of the show last night and wow. It's an incredible story, so intricate and everything is woven together. It's one of those shows where because they switch between multiple characters and plot lines within the show, and because it is a mystery with new information and twists happening all the time, that you forget your own emotions about the characters sometimes.

Tons of things happen that make you feel for the characters and suddenly exclaim in reaction to something, but because your so constantly wrapped up in the story line, trying to figure out how this relates to that, and what this persons motives are, and whats going to happen next that you focus so much more on that than anything else. It constantly has you thinking, which I love about the show. A show that doesn't rely on pure emotion and shock to keep the audience in, but sheer curiosity. It's a good mystery, a really, really good one.

Though I can see why some people may not like it because it makes you think too much, or because there's less pure emotion, or because it's so intricate and you can't keep up, or even because the pacing is somewhat relatively slow. But I assure you, if you can get past all that, this is an amazing show. It's not one that I will gush over, and try to force you to watch, because that's not the kind of show it is. It's just well put together, as I assume the light novel is.

I've just starting reading the light novel, and there is so much more to it. I'm on chapter two and while the anime's first episode did a wonderful job capturing the events and feel of the light novel, the light novel has the intricate detail and thought of the characters that is impossible to convey through any other medium. I am really excited to be reading the source material, and I hope that it will be able to expand and close up some of the holes from the anime that the studio could not fill. When I finish, I'll definitely talk about it (when is the question since not all the novels have been translated...), so look forward to that, because I know I will.

Great show, good to watch if you like intricate, multi-character, multi-story, mystery, action, somewhat supernatural, 'semi-natural' anime. (p.s the dub is pretty dang good.)

Time of Eve 8/21

Yes, yes, I'm well aware that in this giant span of time I've only managed to watch one short 6 episode-er anime. I was on vacation and then fell down the rabbit hole which was the Lego Harry Potter years 5-7 game.

Anyway, I had seen this anime in passing a few times, but finally decided to give it a chance when one of my co-workers recommended it to me. It was definitely worth the watch. Time of Eve is a sci-fi anime taking place in the not quite as distant as you might think future, where androids are commonplace within the average family home. We follow Rikuo who, after reading the location log of his family andriod, discovers that the andriod visited a cafe of her own free will. Confused and concerned, he visits the cafe to find that its only rule is to treat humans and androids equally without discrimination. From here on he, and the audience discover that there is more to androids than just being a robot, and that they are, or have been steadily developing their own individuality.

Right off the bat I was immediately reminded of both Ghost in the Shell and Chobits. Mostly Ghost in the Shell for the political-socio topics the anime discuses. Its actually quite fascinating, not just the topics and themes, but the personalities of the characters as well whether or not they are human. Its a very realistic/natural anime, with a surprising amount of character development for being only six episodes long.

My only critiques would be about the animation itself. Its generally rather smooth, the art style included, however there are many moments where the movement of the camera and characters is very choppy and shaky. This happens mainly when there isn't much movement happening during the scene. Whereas scenes where characters are doing a large amount of movement are very smooth and well animated. I'm not sure how intentional the 'choppiness' of the animation was, but I can tell that the studio chose to focus its animation budget on certain areas more than others.

Regardless, the animation is easy to brush off considering how well the show drew me into the story, mentally and emotionally. I would recommend this to anyone interested in sci-fi, robots/androids, and those who like to question what it is to be 'human'. (It's also a good commentary on 21st century culture and what kinds of things our technology could lead to).

Durarara (season 1) 8/8

Its about a boy named Mikado who decides to go to a highschool in Ikebukuro to fulfill his longing for the excitement of city life in contrast to living in the country where nothing every happens. Here he hears about and witnesses strange rumors about the headless rider, gangs, and other odd phenomenon that are happening in the city. That's how it begins, but we learn very quickly that Mikado is not the only main character, and that there is a lot more going on in the city than just Mikado would know.

I actually decided to start watching this because of this shirt I got with my Akibento back in May featuring Celty the headless motercylcist from Durarara and Haruhi from the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. (btw not my own image)

Yes this was back in May, and yes I did start watching it a few months ago only to now finish the first season. Its a very slow paced anime, like a slow burn, which is why it took so long for me to get through. Don't get me wrong its a good anime, and I did want to watch which is why I periodically came back to it after i finished binge watching a bunch of other anime. It's just slow paced, and not one that will hook you and chain you down to your seat for the next 6+ hours. Hell, I've binge watched anime that I've liked much less than this one.

That being said, its not just slow paced but it also has numerous stories happening at once. Which makes it hard to give a good synospis on. We immediately learn about or at least meet almost all the characters, and are introduced with a number of plots, topics and questions. All which seemingly have nothing to do with each other, but end up intertwining to create a complex and fascinating story. by the time I finally managed to get halfway through, I consistently watched the remaining episodes back to back. The fact that it was available in English dub on crunchyroll also really helped, that way I could do my packing for my vacation while watching it.

Its a great low key supernatural mystery anime. I say low key, because the supernatural aspect is sort of laid back? It's not an in your face over the top kind of supernatural, and it being supernatural is not even the main point of the show. Which is very nice. It's like a semi-natural action/mystery/supernatural anime. Further the characters and story lines are well put together.

All in all, I really like it and I'm going to keep watching. I don't know if it's something that I would necessarily be able to recommend, because that relies heavily on what kind of anime you would like. If you like semi-natural, complex, slow paced, laid back action/mystery/supernatural then you'll like this. But if you cant handle the slow pacing, or prefer more out of the above genres this is not one for you.

Dance in the Vampire Bund 8/6

I actually remember watching this anime, or at least i remember watching the first episode, back in middle school? Possibly? we either way, I loved the first episode, even re watching it now I still really enjoyed it, which was disappointing when the rest of the anime turned out to be so different.

In the show, vampires have just come out of hiding and declared their presence to the world. The princess of the vampires, and current ruler Mina, pays Japans debt and intends to use her political hold over the government to purchase an Island and have it become its own separate country designated only for vampires. Meanwhile Akira a highschooler who recently lost his memory finds out he and Mina have an important past that he cannot remember.

The problem that I have with this anime is that they try to mix a very 'young' or immature story line with a significantly more mature one. They try to mix a highschool vampire warewolf memory loss, basically everything that is the epitome of a bad pre-teen romance with mature themes such as the VERY heavy political aspect that takes up a good 50% of the anime. And not just government politics, but socio-historical political relations between different species and cultures. Don't get me wrong, its still a better love story than twilight, but the fact that it is a highschool love story pretty much ruins it for me.

I wouldn't recommend this, hell i didn't even have the will to finish the last few episodes. The political parts were great and fascinating, but the immaturity of how conflicts are resolved between the main characters is very disappointing. The show either tries too hard to appeal to an older audience, or tries too hard to appeal to a younger audience. Either way I didn't really like it.

Hyouka 8/2 TOP PICK FOR THIS MONTH!!

So the first thing i need to mention is that this show is first and foremost a slcie of life that happens to include a lot of mystery. Not a mystery that happens to be a slice of life. I originally thought it was the latter which was why I was disappointed that it didn't end the series with a mystery arc, but instead the way a slice of life would.When you acknowledge the show for what it really is, a natural slice of life, it is amazing. For numerous reasons.

First the artwork is so incredibly detailed and beautiful. Second the visuals are distinctly different for each thing ti tries to convey, and completely succeeds in doing so. The audio is amazing, the music is beautiful, the animation is so smooth and they even animate things that aren't necessary to the plot but are animated anyway to make it all feel so REAL. Not to mention the episodes and mysteries are so well written!

look at the incredible amount of detail they put into EVERY SINGLE SCENE.

even when the background is blurred!

even people who we never learn about or see again have details in their clothes, faces, and expressions. I checked, we NEVER see these people below actually interact with the main OR minor cast.

I almost forgot, this show is about Houtarou a high schooler that sees the world in 'gray'and whose motto is "If I don't have to do it, I won't. If I have to do it, I'll make it quick." Convinced by his already graduated sister, he joins the classics club which was endangered to be disbanded because there were no more members. He meets a girl named Eru who also joins the club and discovers that he has a knack for solving mysteries. That is, only when Eru earnestly goes to him and yearns for him to solve the mystery because her curiosity cannot be contained. From there they quickly discover that the classics club has a past shrouded in mystery.

Its incredibly well done, I love slow the pacing myself, because it fits the flow and nature of the anime. However I do have a number of issues with it myself (some reveal content spoilers so I won't state those here). I admit that the way they ordered large mystery arch and single episode mysteries was not handled well at the very end. Don't get me wrong the ending fit the characters incredibly well and was very good and realistic, however considering the quality of the larger mysteries that were prevalent through the rest of the anime, I feel that they should have ended the series with a multi-episode arc and then one final single episode arc, rather than many single episode arcs strung together. The anime was an adaptation of a light novel, which covered 4 out of the 5 published novels. I've taken a look at the titles of the chapters and it seems that the 5th book is quite the elaborate story. One I would have liked to have seen in the anime, though would clearly have gone over the 22 episodes the anime ended at. Perhaps since this write up for the episode is already so long, I will create a post just about this anime. It definitely deserves more talking about!

Anyway, I do recommend it to veteran-ed anime watchers. It has a wonderful pace that does not push by quickly, great character development and insight, and fascinating mysteries and dialogue regarding such. Its perfect for anyone who loves natural slice of life. Those who enjoy mysteries would also enjoy this, as long as they understand that it is mostly a slice of life, and thus will follow the format of slice of life and not the format of a mystery anime. Its a stunning anime.

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