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lepus-arcticus · 4 years

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43.

He studies the artefact of her voice on his machine, cataloguing each inflection, mentally charting each subtle flux of her pitch. He replays her empty missive over and over, hunting for distress signals, visualizing the choreography of her lips and teeth and tongue as they conspire to lie to him. Her apartment is empty, her cell phone turned off.

He can’t help but conjure impressions of her in distress; the barrel of a gun shoved into her warm, yielding temple, her slim, vein-mapped wrists rubbed raw, bleeding into knotted jute. He pores over emails signed with her name, finding no trace of her mellow cadence.

He sweats and he paces, his skin feels too tight. It’s happening all over again. It’s Duane Barry howling at the peak of Skyland Mountain, the lung-scraping cold of Antarctica ice.

The Scully he knows is not prone to fantasy. She is not easily manipulated. She does not play games, even when fate seems bent on maneuvering her like a queen on a chessboard. The Scully he knows is scrappy and canny and proud, and that’s what makes it all the worse.

All she has to show for her foolishness is a clutch of vacant wood-paneled offices and a blank CD. Disgust and devastation and relief gnash fiercely at each other within his chest. He can barely stand to look at her.

“I took an oath,” she pleads, pacing the shadowy perimeter of his apartment, the fray of her opium-poppy hair tangling with lamplight. Her mouth is set in a femme fatale snarl, her voice is low and thick. Mulder leans against the door frame, avoiding her eyes, knowing that the righteous blaze he’ll encounter there will burn him all the way down.

“It was my responsibility as a physician,” she continues. “If there was even the slightest possibility—”

Her hand comes to her forehead, like she’s had a revelation. “You know what? Fuck you, Mulder. I don’t need to explain myself.”

She turns on her heel and stalks to the door, yanking it open, sloshing light into the room.

A full-body swell of possessive wrath propels Mulder forward, and he lunges for her, clamps a hand around her wrist. He wrenches her back to him and slams the door closed, backing her up against it, pinning her captured hand to the wood beside her head. His pulse drones in his ears. He still can’t meet her eyes, but the defiant set of her jaw makes him ache to claim her, makes him so angry that for a moment, he thinks he might break down and cry, the way little boys rage in the face of playground injustice.

He crowds himself into her space, determined to bully her into submission, ducking his head to feel her quickening breath mingle with his. The tendons of her wrist flex under his palm. Her small, impertinent breasts rise and fall against his chest. “Mul—”

“Shut up.”

Kissing her isn’t fair, he knows, so he does it harder and better than ever before, gripping her jaw with his free hand, invading her mouth with arrogant, calculating lust.

See why you need me, Scully? He transmits the thought to her, rutting his growing erection against her belly while he kisses her senseless, secure in the knowledge that she likes him like this, that it gets her hot when he’s cruel and hard and selfish.

At least he has this. At least he knows that even at their worst, their most discordant, her body will listen to his, absorbing everything he hurls at it.

Scully knows it too, and she rips herself out of his grip with a frustrated gasp. She manages two frantic paces before he catches her from behind, an arm locked across her ribs, the other hand fumbling with the button at her fly.

“You gonna do to me what you did after Ed?” She pants, clawing at his forearm.

He nips her ear in retaliation. “Depends. You gonna ask me to stop this time?”

She struggles against him, but he can tell it’s not her best effort. He manages the button, gets her zipper down—

“He drugged me,” she says.

The oxygen leaves the room.

“The smoking man. He drugged me, undressed me while I was unconscious. Took my bra off. My panties. Probably did it nice and slow.”

Mulder loosens his hold, releasing her slowly, choking on a flood of horror and bile.

Scully turns to face him, and he finally musters the courage to meet her eyes, finding something like victory in their dark, acidic blue. “He made me wear this… this tight, tiny black dress. He stared at my tits with his mouth watering. He stank, Mulder. I had to breathe through my mouth.”

“Scully. Scully, what are you telling me?”

She stares him down, a hook at the corner of her mouth. “I would have done anything, you know. If he’d asked it of me.” “But... he didn’t,” Mulder says carefully, searching her face for confirmation. “And you… you wouldn’t have.”

“I would have,” she hisses back at him. “One night for the cure to all human disease? One night? How would it be any worse, any different, than what he’s done to my body already? He gave me cancer! Or did you forget? He controls this goddamned chip in my neck! He--he made children from me, Mulder, he stole my ova and used them to breed sick, doomed babies, my babies, babies I’ll never hold, never know, never get to say goodbye to. Seriously, what do you think the chances are that Emily was the only one? How many more do you think are out there?”

“Scully, stop it.”

“Might as well make the most of it, right? I would have let him use me in any way he wanted if it meant that I could save just one person—”

“—But it was a lie, Scully, a lie like all of his other lies! You would have thrown away your—”

“—It’s just a body, for Christ’s sake,” she snarls, and as if to demonstrate, she starts to strip, tearing impatiently at herself. “It’s meat and bone and—and, and tendon, and nerve. That’s it. That’s all it is. Look at it,” she says, throwing her shirt to the floor, tossing her arms up. “It’s nothing!” Her belly is muscular, pale, bullet-scarred. Her hip bones rise from her waistband like a challenge.

It’s not nothing. It’s his altar. It’s his mania, his confessional, his asylum.

His.

“He did this to get to me.” He knows it’s the wrong thing to say before it leaves his mouth, knows it sounds pathetic, knows he’s really pissed her off, even before the colour rises in her cheeks and her lips spring open to reveal her sharp little teeth.

“I’m not an extension of you, Mulder. You don’t own me.”

All the worst parts of him conspire to decide that it’s a challenge.

He crosses the fissure of energy and space that separates them, once again laying claim to her furious lips, swallowing her cry of objection. The neglected dining room table is only a few feet behind her, and he backs her up until there’s a clatter of resistance. He reaches blindly, shoving mail, newspapers, a stack of files to the floor, where they scatter like dead leaves in an autumn storm.

He knows she can’t hold out forever, and he’s right—and when he feels her soften and submit, when she goes slack and puts her arms around him and moans into his mouth, a dark whim like a restless spirit possesses him, body and soul.

He breaks his kiss and jerks her around, halving her over the table. Unclips her bra, pulls it from beneath her to fling across the room, scrapes his nails down her back. If the splintery, weathered thrift store wood is chafing her cheek, abrading her sensitive nipples, all the better.

One hand between her shoulder blades keeps her pinned, and he uses the other to rip her trousers and panties over her firm, sweet ass. He’s so hard now that he can feel every ridge and vein of his cock straining against his jeans, pulsing angrily, demanding attention. He wants to punish her, wants to make her beg. He wants to make her come so hard that she’ll never think of leaving him again.

His hand flies through the air. The resounding crack as it meets her ass is so, so good, just as good as her anguished yelp, her following whimper. The victimized patch of her skin pinks up, and he strokes it tenderly, making soothing sounds in the back of his throat.

Scully stretches her arms forward to grip the edge of the table. He wishes he was wearing a tie, so that he could rip it off and bind her wrists with it, spread her out and tie her to the table leg and leave her trembling and begging and cursing him out while he puts his feet up beside her face and finishes off a beer. He could do it with his belt, he supposes, but he’s a selfish, selfish man, and more than anything, he wants to fuck her.

He smacks her harder.

While she’s vocalizing her approval, he dips his fingers lower to slick through her hot, slippery pussy. He groans, then brings his hand up and wipes his fingers on her cheek, catching the corner of her mouth. “Wet,” he accuses her hoarsely.

Her eyelashes flicker, and she nods her confession.

She stays still while he frees himself from his jeans, his socks, his shirt. His cock bobs against her ass and his balls flex tight up to his shaft, but he wants to see her face, wants to make her look at him while he fucks himself back into her.

He hauls her off the table by her hips and turns her around. She’s ragdoll compliant, letting him strip her pants all the way off and lift her back up so that she’s sitting on the edge, facing him, her thighs spread wide and her plump, pretty, glistening cunt on display.

Simmering with greed, he sidles up close, his cock brushing the seam of her labia. She wraps her legs around him and crosses her ankles at his back, trying to pull him closer, but he doesn’t move an inch, his swollen, pulsing head just barely touching her, just barely grazing the peak of her clitoris. She’s wet and she’s hot and every nerve in his body is screaming at him to fuck, fuck, fuck, but he’s got a point to make, and goddamnit, he’s going to get it through to her.

He gathers a fistful of her hair and forces her head back, leaning over her, planting his other hand on the table behind her for balance. He locks her into his eyes.

“You’ll never go with him again,” he commands. “Never.” He pushes forward and slides the underside of his dick through her folds, grinding hard against her clit, because if he can just make her need him enough, surely he’ll never have to feel the soul-sickening panic of her absence again.

“I’ll do whatever I want,” she retorts, articulating every word, her chin jutting proudly, her pupils a black and dangerous chasm.

He tightens his fist in her hair and stabs himself into her.

The sound that rips up from her chest is short and shrill, and god, even her pussy feels defiant, strong and grippy and tight as hell. He fucks her in brutal, relentless strokes, punishing her, pleading with her. His eyes burn with unshed tears of humiliating rage as he reclaims her body, this perfect and inviolable body that she chooses again and again to share with him.

It’s not long before he forces an orgasm from her, steals it from her, biting her neck while she writhes and cries out for her god, to witness it, maybe, or to save her sinner’s soul. And while she’s calling on heaven, he falls harder than Lucifer, jerking and spilling inside of her, pumping her so full that at least for a short while, she can’t possibly claim to be only herself.

And then it’s done.

The world rights itself. The hush of traffic returns, the tick of his antique mantle clock.

She wraps her arms around him in silent forgiveness, and then he really does start to cry, hard and hopelessly, because how could he ever truly hope to keep her safe?

Incrementum

#incrementum #txf fic #txf fanfiction

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professorwilliam · 4 years

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Chuuya Nakahara

❝ like a sheep living in a pack of wolves. ❞

CHUUYA NAKAHARA APPRECIATION POST

im going through an extremely soft fifteen chuu phase, so all the good things about my boy.

He's a strong mf. both physically and mentally.

Literally has a god of destruction living inside him. At the age of 7. Let that sink in.

He was leader of an organisation at the age of fifteen, even if he had flaws it still takes alot to have control over people.

Unlike Mori, Chuuya was not a manipulative leader who kept his thumb over all his subordinates. He was just trying to take care of all of them.

When Shirase said that sheep had decided what to do with Chuuya after his associations with port mafia. He didn't even counter it, he said he'll be okay with whatsoever they had come up with.

When Shirase stabbed him and everyone turned on him, Chuuya didn't hold an grudge and took all the blame on himself.

( an : SHEEP WERE FUCKING STUPID LIKE YOU COULD HAVE ATLEAST SAT DOWN AND HEAR HIM OUT BEFORE STABBING HIM THE FUCK)

( ALSO YOU ALL ARE LIKE 12 YEAR OLD KIDS HOW THE FUCK WERE YOU PLANNING ON TAKING DOWN THE FUCKING PORT MAFIA, ITS NOT AN ARCADE GAME TFFFF) anyways ,,,, moving on.

When Dazai said he was about to kill everyone, Chuuya was immediately high on alert and ready to fight 40 something men, all while having a wound and numbed out from poison.

His only demand was that Dazai shouldn't hurt the kids.

He visits Randou's grave, and from what it seemed he did it often.

Even if he had an grudges against Randou or was proud of have defeated him; Chuuya didn't snicker or mocked him. Instead he sincerely listened to him before sending him off. (Even kept his hat)

He can't take unnecessary violence especially against the ones who can't fight back (may seem weird because he gets angry so quickly) but in the dark era when Dazai kept on shooting the dead soldier Chuuya stopped him because he saw no point in fighting a dead man.

Chuuya might seem like a mere hot headed guy but he's extremely easy to negotiate with. When he was sent as a messenger in the three way conflict arc, Chuuya had fun fighting Yosano and Kenji but he disengaged immediately when Fukuzawa began negotiation with him

He treats his subordinates with respect and honour. During the attack with the cursed doll, many of his subordinates had died. He was pissed to see that happen.

During the dead apple movie, Chuuya had threatened to kill Ango. But he didn't do so because he understood what position Ango was put into and it couldn't be helped.

He even acknowledged that despite his grudges. He still owes Ango a favour.

He has a blind trust in Dazai. Even if he claims that he hates him. Chuuya went into the fight with the dragon head on because he believed that Dazai would have planned something out.

He assured Akutagawa that Dazai was fine after the fight and he hasn't sided with the enemy.

He doesn't retreat back from the things he set his mind on.

He understands sacrifices and doesn't takes it lightly.

He didn't believe he was human enough when he was merged him the god of destruction, it was something he struggled with since young age.

In the extra ova : he even acknowledged that the situation would have been more fun if Dazai was involved, admitting that Dazai was am extremely strong opponent.

He even admitted that it's stupid to go against the armed detective agency as they were extremely well grouped and strong.

In the “Welcome to hot spring!” extra reel, he sat down with Akutagawa and talked with him calmly. Telling him he doesn't always had to Impress Dazai, also giving him advice on how he could it if he's so adamant on it.

He's the mom of the mafia ! </3 it was Chuuya who made Akutagawa take a bath in the hot spring and then only showered him. Once he was done he started wondering why he was doing it anyways.

He took care of the drunk mafia </3

In the manga it was Chuuya who saved the armed detective agency from the hunting dogs.

He loves his city and will do anything to protect it.

Conclusion : Chuuya best boy.

#chuuya nakahara bsd #chuuya nakahara #chuuya #bsd #bungo stray dogs #my poor baby got stabby stabby #fifteen chuuya

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sonicfanj · 4 years

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Was asked how I would remake Sonic Heroes and I put together an idea that totally throws the game out and tells a completely different story. If anyone is curious hit the jump to check it out.

A lot of the question with remaking Sonic Heroes would be what story are you trying to tell. The game itself is used in it's current state to do two things, and doesn't really balance those well. The first is bringing back Shadow who doesn't really get much in game but gets a whole game after ward while the second is reintroducing Metal Sonic who gets no follow up at all. So, where I would start here is honestly in an examination of what makes these two characters and their relationship with the titular Sonic Hero, Sonic himself. They are both dark counterparts to Sonic, one being his would-be killer and the other a darker and more pragmatic approach to how he solves problems. Where things get particularly interesting though, is I see Shadow as a character who would want to get out of comparisons to Sonic (if you don't mind a bit of forum browsing I really detail it in this forum thread https://board.sonicstadium.org/topic/25269-seeing-shadow-in-his-friends-enemies-and-maria/) whereas Metal believes himself to be the true Sonic. This works especially well for me when he has Sonic's personality like in the OVA as he would likely then see Sonic as a perversion of himself. It's part of why for my Ring bong AU I needed Sonic and Metal to share a Ring Bond. So, from this angle I would probably really warp the game quite a bit. possibly even beyond recognition.

At this point Metal and Shadow aren't really there own characters but rather dark and robot Sonics. Even Amy to a point is just girl Sonic which while I'm good with that doesn't really have a place in this hypothetical. So, exploring what makes Shadow not Sonic and Metal Sonic would be my overall approach to the story and I'd play it in three parts. I should also note at this point that I don't like Neo Metal Sonic or his further transformations. Further, a Sonic game is typically about the player taking Sonic to beat Eggman so I would want to go from that approach as well. In that case I would break it down like this.

For the first story or chapter I would start with Metal Sonic as your playable character. He is in his own mind supposed to be Sonic but he always loses. Part of that is due to Sonic's friends. In fact, outside of Free Riders i don't think Sonic has ever beat Metal straight up with out one of his friends being part of the story or a motivating factor. In that regard Metal's story would be about him going around of his own volition facing Sonic's friends to understand the strengths they provide his organic counterpart and developing his own from those encounters. Like Sonic he needs Sonic's friends to grow but being who he is goes a bout it wrong. As a result most of his campaign fights would be character bosses. Eventually Eggman would catch wind of Metal's actions and would try to reign him in resulting in Metal besting him and locking him up while he deals with Sonic. Wanting to see Sonic in action though he would set up the invitation as before and probably just use an Egg-robo to stand in for Eggman.

Now Sonic's story would be pretty much the same except for a couple of key differences. First up, he won't encounter Shadow during his campaign. Secondly, he'll be going this story solo as Tails and Knuckles as well as everyone else is in no shape to follow him after Eggman. On top of that Sonic wouldn't want to put them further into harms way. Metal is him at his best without restraint and he can't afford to slow down to face Eggman since he's brought him back out. This results in Sonic having a sense of urgency throughout the adventure that he normally lacks, and as his Eggman encounters would robots his impatience with Eggman not facing him directly would really be pushing his short temper that is rarely explored. In the end he would have a big climatic battle with Metal Sonic and during this time Shadow would be freed from his stasis.

Now I would still play up the amnesia angle much as I dislike the trope, but exploring Shadow requires connecting him to his past. So to do just that I would start with him teaming up with Omega to get out of Eggman's base and just following Omega around as he tries to figure out who he is. Eventually this would get Eggman's attention who has also gotten free at this point, also likely due to Sonic and Metal's fight and he would be looking to recruit Shadow to help him reign in Metal. Of course Omega complicates matters since despite being willing to wreak another Eggman robot he really doesn't want to help his master wreck a robot as that kind of defeats the point of his vengeance. Eggman meanwhile tries to appeal to Shadow through there ties with Gerald but Shadow's amnesia and Omega's reaction makes him back out of it From here he would go on a hunt of who he is and meet up with Rouge before ending up on the Ark and finally putting his memory back together again properly. Needing to step out of Sonic's shadow and distance himself from the madness that plagues Gerald and Eggman while upholding his promise to Maria he would return to earth to put a stop to Metal and Sonic's fight.

This leads into the final story where Eggman tired of all three hedgehogs decides just to wipe them out with his latest and greatest creation. Though Metal desires to off Sonic still, Sonic doesn't appreciate Eggman aiming to strip Metal of his autonomy and decides to fight alongside him to at least keep him around. Sonic also would hate to see Shadow rejoin the dead after showing up alive and well and asks him for help as well. From there the three face Eggman together (with or without the chaos Emeralds, it really doesn't matter). When they win they all go their separate ways with Sonic telling Metal to challenge him again after he figures out what it means to be himself and wishes Shadow luck at his second chance at life.

Wrapping it up like that I bring back to major characters and highlight who they are as well as their differences and similarities to Sonic. I also leave them in a place where they can both show up freely and maintain their own agency while Sonic has had the opportunity to show his compassion and some of the rarer facets of his personality. Even all of Sonic's friends end up showing up and serving a purpose to the story without detracting from the Sonic focus or concerning people with multiple gameplay styles. Instead you get three Sonics and ton of story, stages, and character building and highlighting. It's not a win-win for everyone, especially Chaotix fans as they are totally absent in this overhaul, but on a whole it's the way I would approach it right now.

#sonic the hedgehog #sonic heroes #shadow the hedgehog #metal sonic #video game redo #my thoughts #ideas

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recentanimenews · 5 years

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Anime's Top 10 Vampires of All Time!

As the time for Halloween approaches, it makes us nostalgic for all of our favorite monsters, goblins, ghouls, and ghosts that haunt our anime. But what about the regal, majestic vampire? While they seem to be popular, vampires are pretty rare in starring roles, and separating the wheat from the chaff is an even harder task. A lot of times, the poor vampire is relegated to cannon fodder for powerful main characters to dispatch, treated as nothing more than lowly monsters to be exterminated, meaning it can be easy to disregard them as something uninteresting or weak. But fear not; we’ve learned from the best Van Helsing School of Vampire Hunters to catalogue who we think are the 10 top vampires in all of anime! Think you can stomach the challenge of standing up to these terrible titans, keep scrolling… If you dare!

HONORABLE MENTION: Dracula Man (Dragon Ball)

Our list wouldn’t be complete without at least one honorable mention, and we felt it was hard to leave Dracula Man (AKA Fangs) here off the list. While not quite famous for being a vampire in the traditional sense, fans of Dragon Ball likely recognize this Thai Kickboxing Vampire! Dracula Man is far from the only vampire in Dragon Ball, with quite a few of the movies seemingly love the idea of pitting the Z Warriors against undead bloodsuckers, he’s the only one who appears in the canonical show itself. Of course, Dracula Man also has another dubious “honor”: being one of the only foes in the entire series defeated by Puar (with help from Upa, of course)! Dracula Man would go on to be something of a Dragon Ball in-joke, appearing in some of the games released well after his initial debut in the series, so we figured we’d say “fangs” for the memories, but not quite enough to make the top ten!

10) Staz Charlie Blood (Blood Lad)

Blood Lad was a quirky title that featured various supernatural types going at one another in a struggle to control the underworld. The protagonist, Staz, is a bit of an oddball compared to other vampires: he isn’t really affected by garlic, doesn’t mind crosses, can’t fly, and doesn’t even have wings. What he does have, however, is a huge obsession with Japanese anime and video games! Aside from that, Staz is the a territory leader in Demon World East, making him more of a delinquent than a refined aristocrat, but he is a descendant of Dracula himself (not an uncommon thing for most anime vampires, to be fair)! Staz is certainly a unique take on the modern vampire, and earns his spot at number ten for being a quirky, but likeable, modern rendition of the blood sucking creature of myth.

9) Sunako Kirishiki (Shiki)

Shiki was a pretty heavy and dark show, and we figured we’d get that warning out of the way first for anyone who might be curious to check it out after reading our list: things get dark, and we mean DARK. The vampires of Shiki tend towards the ghoulish side, with their dark eyes making them seem even more inhuman than usual. Perhaps most unusual is Sunako, a seemingly young girl that resembles a doll more than a dangerous monster. Sunako wants nothing more than to find some way for the Shiki and humans to live in some sort of harmony, but the cruel world she lives in, and the actions of both groups, makes her dream seemingly impossible. Like Staz and a few other good vampires, Sunako only feeds to survive, trying to limit her need to do so as much as possible and cause as little suffering as she can.

8) Saya Otonashi (Blood The Last Vampire / Blood +)

While technically the same character, the two versions of Saya are quite different, and equally memorable. Blood the Last Vampire’s version of Saya is that of a cold, seemingly aloof young woman who becomes a cold blooded killer, hunting down the monsterous Chiropterans. Fighting vampiric beasts with a katana is cool, but it’s even cooler when you’re also the last remaining “true” vampire that exists! In Blood+, this version of Saya similarly hunts Chiropterans, although her past is far more mysterious and her own existence as a vampire is clouded in mystery and intrigue. Either version of Saya is worthy of being on a list, but we wanted to highlight both, as the movie and TV show were amazing and worth the watch!

7) Mina Tepes (Dance in the Vampire Bund)

Mina Tepes' standing of the queen of all vampires sounds great, until you realize that everyone is seemingly out to kill you! After paying off all of Japan’s debts, Mina sets up a supposed vampire safe zone known as the “Bund”, but human aggressors and vampiric plots of usurping the throne threaten Mina’s life… Until she turns the tables on her would be attackers! Mina isn’t quite the little girl she appears to be, and while her bodyguards are quite capable, Mina is a full fledged vampire who has some serious skills and abilities. Mina certainly embodies that sense of aristocracy associated with vampires, what with paying off an entire country’s debts, but the way she carries herself and the vampire culture of the Bund cement the series as having one of the more interesting takes on vampires not as monsters, but as a unique culture separate from humanity. Just make sure you don’t call her a little girl, or you might not live long enough to even regret it!

6) Seras Victoria (Hellsing / Hellsing Ultimate)

Originally a rookie police officer, a fateful and fatal encounter leaves Seras Victoria at the mercy of a cruel choice: die, or become a vampire! Deciding to choose “life”, Seras becomes the ward of the most powerful vampire there is: Alucard! Trying her hardest to resist the temptation to feed and bumbling through her transition from human to vampire, Seras is equal parts adorable and terrifying, as many people who’ve seen her true powers manifest can attest to. If you’re not familiar with her, let’s just say that coming between her and what she wants most is a fine way to get ground to dust! Seras lends a much more “human” component to the vampires of Hellsing, and frankly seems even more rational than some of the humans at times, making her a memorable character for just trying to do her best in the crazy hellscape she lives in. Good luck, Seras!

5) Miyu (Vampire Princess Miyu)

The OG lady anime vampire princess, Miyu is an anime icon that fans of a certain age likely remember as one of their first anime titles ever! A classic horror series, Vampire Princess Miyu followed the titular main character as she hunted down Shinma, demons, that would wander into the human realm to do harm. Miyu is another compassionate vampire, generally selecting people to feed on that she can leave in an eternal state of “happiness” in exchange for the blood they give her. The Miyu series is an absolute classic, starting off as a manga in the 80's and still running today, with numerous anime spin offs in the forms of OVAs and TV shows. I remember first encountering Vampire Princess Miyu in a Blockbuster Video aisle (remember those stores?), and coupled with another high ranking vampire on this list, became one of many reasons why I ended up diving deeper into the wonderful world of anime.

4) Shinobu Oshino (Bakemonogatari)

We will try to avoid too many spoilers here, because one of the joys of the Bakemonogatari series is discovering the web of ways characters interconnect and the secrets that they hide. What we can say is that when the series first debuted, the donut munching young vampire known simply as Shinobu stood out from the rest of the eccentric cast, and seemed to catch the eye of many other fans. Shinobu is a relative mystery in the series, a skulking shadow that doesn’t seem to quite fit in with the things going on around the other characters, and diving further into the Bakemonogatari series reveals why this is. But we don’t want to say too much more about it; go check out the series for yourself and discover why Shinobu rates so highly as one of the most unique vampires we’ve seen in a long time.

3) Vampire Hunter D (Vampire Hunter D)

Along with Vampire Princess Miyu, Vampire Hunter D is an anime that some fans might remember as one of their first anime ever. The star of a long running series of novels illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano, Vampire Hunter D comes to the anime world rarely, and generally in the form of feature films: 1985’s Vampire Hunter D, and 2000’s Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. Both films are amazing and still hold up today, and D is one of the best semi-silent protagonists there is, hunting down vampires in the post-nuclear future world they inhabit. The mixture of post-apocalyptic sci-fi and medieval style horror make the series truly unique, and whether you’re an anime fan from 30 years ago, 20 years ago, you probably think of D and his fabulous hat when you think of anime vampires!

2) Dio Brando (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)

While he’s certainly an odd style of vampire compared to some of the more traditional ones on the list, there are few that can hold a candle to the one, the only, Dio Brando. Originally a human boy who discovered the secret of the Stone Mask, Dio is a being of pure evil and selfish desires that fits perfectly with the image of vampire, and his original vampiric run through Phantom Blood truly feels like a classic movie monster villain. When he re-appears in Stardust Crusaders, Dio’s vampirism takes a bit of a backseat to his Stand abilities, but his classic vampiric cry, “WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!”, still remains! Fans who had a chance to see the original JoJo OVA from the 90s might remember Dio’s fabulous vampire cape, but even without it, his fanged grin and inhuman stamina make Dio one of the top vampires in anime; after all, not many of the others can claim the ability to stop time and drop road rollers on people! Dio, we love you, even if you are a terrible monster.

1) Alucard (Hellsing / Hellsing Ultimate)

When you talk about anime vampires, though, it is really hard to ignore the lanky, leering, and imposing presence of Alucard from the Hellsing series. The huge red hat and coat, the glasses, the wide, inhuman toothy grin, and the huge guns give Alucard a timeless profile, and coupled with his absolutely bonkers assortment of abilities, makes him perhaps the most terrifying vampire on the list. Stopping time for a few seconds seems like child's play compared to some of the abilities that Alucard possesses, and the absolute terror his foes suffer when they realize just how outclassed they are by Alucard makes for some of the best moments in anime. Of all the vampires on the list, Alucard is also the most “authentic”, detesting sunlight, holy symbols and consecrated weapons, and even being unable to cross bodies of water without his coffin and soil. Whether it’s being the most accurate to vampire lore, striking a memorable profile, or just being ridiculously powerful and scary, Alucard really hits all the right buttons when it comes to the top anime vampire!

And with that, we put the last stake into our list! Vampires certainly seem far more popular than they are prevalent, but when a vampire is a good character, they really leave an everlasting impression. So as you get ready to enjoy your Halloween festivities, maybe take some time to revisit some of these amazing vampires, or check them out for the first time. Just beware… If they ask you for a drink, you better protect your neck!

What do you think of our list of vampires? Have any that we didn’t include here? Let us know what you think in the comments, and have a Happy Halloween!

----

Nicole is a features writer and editor for Crunchyroll. Known for punching dudes in Yakuza games on her Twitch channel while professing her love for Majima. She also has a blog, Figuratively Speaking. Follow her on Twitter: @ellyberries

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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stacks-reviews · 7 years

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New Releases 6/27/17

Happy New Release Day! This weeks consists of robots in space, everyday life of a fledgling superhero, a trip across Europe, a power called Geass, a class made of assassins, and more.

In Books --The Adventures of a Superhero Girl by Faith Erin Hicks “What if you can leap tall buildings and defeat alien monsters with your bare hands, but you buy your capes at secondhand stores and have a weakness for kittens?” The everyday tales of a super girl as she saves people, as she updates her family on how she is doing, and as she tries to keep a part-time job but forgets to remove her mask before work. With an arch-nemesis who’s only superpower is letting our hero know she is doing the superhero thing wrong. This particular version of this graphic novel is a expanded edition. It was originally printed in 2013 but has been reprinted a few times since. This edition will include two new stories and new art. I have never read it before but I really wanna give it a try.

--Descender volume 4 by Jeff Lemire, artist Dustin Nguyen One day giant robots appear out of nowhere bringing death and destruction across the galaxy. As a consequence all robots are now outlawed and are hunted and destroyed by bounty hunters. Ten years after the attack an android named Tim-21 awakens to find his home destroyed and the human boy he was bought for gone. Tim sets out to find his human along with his robot dog and a mining droid. But Tim will be hunted down as his robot DNA might just reveal how to defeat the giant robots if they ever return. I love this series. This is probably my favorite release for this week. I started reading this series early this year. It is very good and the art is amazing. Dustin Nguyen did a wonderful job with the watercolor. There’s a great cast of characters but Tim is probably my favorite character. I would definitely check it out. I recommend it to everyone that I help in the graphic novel section at work. If you love robots, robots in space, and the exploration into what defines being human (there’s rogue robots who just want to live instead of being destroyed and will fight back) then read Descender.

--The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee I first wrote this down to research it because I was imagining the worst. I was thinking something along the lines of, ‘they are not publishing a book that says treating women in such a way is okay’. But then it became so much better. Henry Montague’s days of pleasure and vice; with both men and women, are rapidly coming to an end. His father is going to force Henry to start taking care of the family estate. As a final hurrah, Henry invites his best friend and secret crush; Percy, to travel across Europe with him. When one of Henry’s reckless decisions sends him and Percy into a manhunt it will have Henry questioning everything he knows. Including his thoughts about the boy he secretly adores. The description of this book did not go at all the way I was expecting. I’m really excited to give this a try. I love everything about it already. As long as it doesn’t end up supporting treating people like crap, basically.

--Land of the Lustrous volume 1 by Haruko Ichikawa The Lustrous are crystalline lifeforms; each gem has unique powers, who are hunted by a group called lunarians who would turn the Lustrous into decorations. I mostly want to read this cause I immediately thought of Steven Universe when I read the description.

--The Waking Land by Callie Bates Lady Elanna Valtai is fiercely devoted to her King who raised her like a daughter. But when he mysteriously dies, Elanna is accused of murdering him and must flee to her homeland full of magical legends. And to her birth father who was branded a traitor. Now she must confront the powers that have stirred within her and seem to grow as she connects to the natural world. Now Elanna must stop the threat that has chased her to her homeland and rebel against the kingdom she once called home. It reminds me of Uprooted by Naomi Novik and I really enjoyed that book.

In moives/tv shows --Assassination Classroom S2P2 The conclusion of Assassination Classroom is finally out today. The truth about Koro-Sensei will finally be revealed. But once Class E learns the truth, will they be able to assassinate the best teacher they’ve ever had? If you haven’t seen this series before or haven’t read the manga yet, you should. This series has had surprisingly good character development. When I first started reading the manga I thought it would just be this silly series but then it became so much more that just silly. It’s a really good blend of comedy, action, and can be very sweet. I haven’t seen the anime yet; although I own the first season, but from what I’ve seen and heard it follows the manga very well.

--Blue Exorcist Complete Box Set (blu-ray) For the first time the hit anime is out in a complete box set. Twin brothers; Rin and Yukio, were raised by an exorcists named Father Shiro Fujimoto. One day their home is attacked and Rin finds out his biological father is Satan. In order to avenge those that were lost during the battle Rin decides to train to become an exorcist in order to defeat Satan. Blue Exorcist is a really good series if you haven’t seen it yet. I’m not sure how well it follows the manga though. I think the end of the first season was different from the manga but I’m not 100% positive. I did flip through some of the volumes when season two started and it looked like the first part of S2 followed the manga pretty well. The set does cost $159.98 but the first season is available for streaming on Netflix and both are on Crunchyroll.

--Code Geass: Akito the Exiled The OVA series of the hit anime Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion. It’s five episodes but each episode should be around 50 minutes. Characters from the series will make an appearance. I’m really excited for this release but all it has made me want to do is to rewatch the original series. Characters will be returning for this but I’m not quite sure how or what part they will play.

--Panda Go Panda (on blu-ray) A little girl who lives with a Panda and it’s baby. I didn’t know much about this title until it was mentioned in a panel at a con I went to this year. Afterwards, I found out that it was getting a blu-ray release. From what I remember our main character either thinks that PapaPanda is her father or PapaPanda offers to become her father while her family is away. Throughout the town tries to let her know that her Papa is a panda and the police and most the town try to catch them. It looks really cute. It’s only 80 minutes long. It’s two episodes.

--Sea Prince and the Fire Child (on blu-ray) One long ago fire spirits and wind spirits lived as one till one day the Lord of the Winds drove a rift between the Queen of Fire and her brother, the King of Water. Ever since then, the fire spirits and water spirits have been at war with one another. One day the Prince of Fire and the Princess of Water met and fell in love. Their only chance of living together means traveling to a distant star where fire and water spirits live in peace but they much reach the hill of Elysium by the next solar eclipse.

--Sword Art Online Box Set (blu-ray) One of the top favorite ‘getting stuck inside a video game’ series around is now available in a box set. All 25 episodes with some special features. The blu-ray is $159.95 and the dvd set is $69.98 BUT the dvd won’t be out until 8/1. Personally, I am holding out a small, small hope that I might come across the limited editions of the parts. I have the first one but missed out on the rest. If I break and buy the set someday, I’ll probably get the dvd. Unless the blu-ray set happens to have a good sale someday. I’m in no hurry cause my heart still heavily belongs to .hack//sign. SAO has some great fight scenes but I have stronger feelings toward .hack//sign.

--Yu-Gi-Oh Dark Side of Dimensions The original crew is back! Yugi and the gang are about to graduate from high school. Then trouble starts when a boy named Aigami arrives. He blames Bakura for the death of his mention; and former holder of the Millennium Ring, and it out for revenge. It’s up to Yugi to save Bakura and the rest of his friends. I managed to catch this movie when it came to theaters. It was great because I hadn’t seen Yu-Gi-Oh in a long time. Most of the original voice actors returned to dub it which I was very happy about. There was a minor change in a characters back story but it had been so long since I had seen the series that I didn’t notice it until someone pointed it out to me.

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singloom · 7 years

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2016 Anime/Animation Challenge ~ October

My Little Pony Season 6

Pastel coloured pony time! I think October is the Month of Pony, given I finished Season 6, watched The Legend of Everfree and rewatched the other Equestria Girls films. It's just that kind of month. Season 6 of My Little Pony follows the reformed Starlight Glimmer learning lessons of friendship from, who else, the Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle and her awesome posse of friends. From a season opener about a royal Crystalling to her very first best friend and an unexpected return, Season 6 is Starlight Hour as she struggles to learn the importance of friendship and worries about being judged for her past mistakes. Very relatable. Except the whole enslaving/almost ending the world/kinda messing with time shenanigans.

Then again, we're not perfect. #lifelessonsiguess

Other episodes include Spike returning to the Land of Dragons to compete for the title of "Dragon Lord" (Gauntlet of Fire,) a Pony retelling of A Christmas Carol (A Hearth's Warming Tail,) a griffon seeking her cutie mark (The Fault in Our Cutie Marks,) Rainbow Dash butting heads with a Daring Do fan at a con (Stranger Than Fanfiction,) a fantasy role-playing session courtesy of Spike, Big Mac and Discord of all folks (Dungeons & Discords,) and Starlight Glimmer taking on evil with the most unexpected band of allies (To Where and Back.)

It only serves to make me wonder what Season 7 will have in store. Yay.

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: The Legend of Everfree

Another Humanised Pony story, The Legend of Everfree takes our heroines camping in the woods on a school trip where Twilight Sparkle struggles with the aftermath of the previous film, trying to hide her darkness, while new found magical powers find theirselves to the Mane Six just in time to take on another magical threat.

The concept of the Mane Six and Sunset gaining powers is very interesting and it's fun to see how they are utilised (though never let Pinkie Pie near anything fragile, please.) Twilight's struggles with darkness are similar to Sunset in Rainbow Rocks and their friendship is a strong part of the film.

My only qwuibbles were around the less appealing opening song (compared to the other films,) another love interest character introduced for Twilight Sparkle though Timber Spruce isn't completely unlikeable, and Filthy Rich suddenly becoming a villain for simplicity sake in this feature. Other than that, it was an enjoyable piece to the Equestria Girls series, especially with the post credits stinger.

Orenchi No Furo Jiyo

Short anime about a young man that takes care of a mermaid in his bathtub. No, really. The everyday comedy of Tatsumi looking after Wakasa is an endearing way to pass the time, especially when other hybrid humans start popping in to say hello, like Takasu the octopus man and Mikuni the humanoid jellyfish.

It's a softer, light hearted anime than the darker sexual comedy of Monster Musume, so if you want something about cute monster human characters and the poor boy trying to keep things in check (without the extreme fanservice and dark comedy,) Orenchi No Furo Jiyo might be your cup of chamomile tea.

Brotherhood: FFXV

Let's get one thing straight, I love Final Fantasy XV, but I will be the first to admit the story structure of the video game could have been better. You shouldn't need to consult seperate media to get the full story, especially when said things really should have been in the game to flesh it out and paying for DLC that should have been ingame in the first place is a practice that needs to go. With that out the way, Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV is the story we really needed to get some much needed context on our beloved Chocobros and their connection to Noctis. Each Chocobro gets an episode about his past, including the very important monster attack that Noctis survived when he was a child that barely got mentioned in the game. If you ever wanted to get some backstory on your bros, this is the place to go. In fact, I insist. It really does help. Trust me.

Persona 5 The Animation ~ The Day Breakers ~

Lemme break it to you, the Persona franchise is awesomesauce. With stories about personal darkness and demons, symbolic creatures of the mind that would make Freud blush, and character development that is a much needed breath of fresh air, Persona is a series of personal recommendation for those wanting something a little different.

Persona 5 The Animation ~ The Day Breakers ~ is an OVA of sorts that adapts one of the potential side missions in the video game, fleshing out the backstory of the target, Kazuya. It would be an interesting opening gate for folks unfamiliar with P5 to get into the ideas of the game in smaller chunks. We get a glimpse at the Phantom Thieves of Hearts and how they target those with corrupt, impure hearts, giving you an idea of what the story is like in game on a smaller scale. Give it a try.

Rewatch

Big part of my childhood for introducing me to the concept of death at an early age,

The Animals of Farthing Wood

finally found its way to a DVD release in 2016. This gave many viewers, like myself, a chance to re-experience the perils and dangers of a group of animals fleeing their endangered home to promises of a better life at White Deer Park. As you can imagine, there are plenty of deaths and struggles for this varied band of creatures great and small, from newts and moles to badgers and foxes. Even now, I still remember scenes depicting the harsh reality of the food chain and being a creature of the wild.

The Butcher Bird. The motorway. The fox hunt. The farm.

What is a new experience, with The Animals of Farthing Wood, that perhaps wasn't as apparent as a younger viewer, is how dicky the different animals are to each other. Worst offenders are Adder, Owl and Weasel. Before, you knew they teased and took parting shots. As a 30 year old watcher, it comes across as bullying, especially in what is a stressful situation of survival. As a child, Weasel was one of my favourites, now she's definitely outstayed her welcome (laughing at mourning animals is not appreciated and THAT LAUGH.) I still love the likes of Kestrel, Mole, Badger and even Owl (despite her recurring theme of trash talking the other animals, it wouldn't be the same without her.)

Another Crowning Moment is the Music. The Theme song alone is the stuff of nostalgia overload by the senses, but even the background music (the same piece of music with different instruments depending on which animal is on screen.) I can perfectly envision that entire opening in my mind with the music alone, which tells you how powerful it is.

The Third Season, featuring a pack of rats that want to take over White Deer Park, was perhaps not the strongest part of the series, given very popular characters are Put On the Bus, never mentioned again and replaced with not as appealing ones. Nevertheless, it was still enjoyable, even if the first two seasons were the strongest.

Perhaps not as child friendly as it advertised (THAT BUTCHER BIRD,) The Animals of Farthing Wood is still the stuff of animation legend and worth the watch. If you want Watership Down with a mixture of different animals, this is the one to watch.

Following the new Legend of Everfree film, I decided to turn to Equestria Girls, Rainbow Rocks and Friendship Games. These are My Little Pony movies that feature the mane six as humans attending high school and defending the human world from magical threats. The surprising thing is, despite how cliched the high school setting is, they are quite enjoyable. For me, a big part of the enjoyment is Sunset Shimmer, a unicorn that escapes to the human world after stealing Twilight Sparkle's crown in the first movie, Equestria Girls. She is both a compelling antagonist that grows into so much more in the following movies.

As far as plots go, they are quite straightforward. Equestria Girls, like I mentioned before, introduces us to the human world when Twilight Sparkle chases Celestia's former student, Sunset Shimmer, into this strange, new world in pursuit of her crown (trying HARD not to make a Game Grumps joke, here.) We also meet the human versions of not only the other members of the Mane Six (Fluttershy, so cute,) but background ponies in a different form now. The fun is trying to find them as they make their way about Canterlot High.

Rainbow Rocks, one of my personal favourites, is the ultimate Battle of the Bands showdown as the Mane Six take on the standout villains of the piece, the Dazzlings. Everything is a musical spectical with the Dazzlings being the stars of the show. We also get the start of Sunset Shimmer's character development, which is also a reason I enjoy the EG films.

Friendship Games is the clash between two High Schools in a tournament of intellectual and athletic prowess... and the introduction of another Twilight Sparkle? School rivalry, peer pressure and, of course, Friendship is the order of the day with more great musical numbers and a showdown that wouldn't be out of place in a Magical Girl Show.

To MLP fans that are somewhat cycnical to these humanised forms of their beloved ponies, I'd say give the films a try. What have you got to lose? You might enjoy them more than you think. Rainbow Rocks and Friendship Games are the stronger entries.

#2016 anime challenge #anime #animation

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recentanimenews · 6 years

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The Crunchyroll 2017 Holiday Gift Guide

Hello everyone and Season’s Greetings. My name is Peter Fobian, Associate Features Editor. We here at Crunchyroll know how hard it is to plan out holiday shopping for your friends, family, and loved ones, so we wanted to put together a handy gift guide for the anime-inclined! We’ve separated the gifts into several different sections for varying types of anime fans and included options for different budgets. Whether the person you’re shopping for loves Attack on Titan or Sailor Moon, we’ve got something for them on this list. Light up the fireplace, pour yourself a mug of good nog, and enjoy the Crunchyroll 2017 Holiday Gift Guide!

Gifts for the Shonen Fan

Martial arts, powerful psychic abilities, and Earth-shattering fight scenes—if the person you’re buying gifts for loves these things, here’s the section for you! Here are gifts for the people in your life who love shonen.

For fans of Dragon Ball Super, My Hero Academia, Yu Yu Hakusho

$:Dragon Ball VIZBIG Vol 1

Akira Toriyama’s groundbreaking manga set the stage for modern shonen and the international megahit Dragonball Z. A more light-hearted, simpler look at Goku's adventures with Bulma as a child. The VIZBIG editions of the series offer a lot for your dollar, collecting several volumes in omnibus with plus-size pages!

$$:Kakashi Military Hoodie

Perfect for running with your arms out behind you, the Kakashi Military Hoodie is great for the Naruto fan in your life who has cold arms. This type of gear is my favorite since it can be worn casually or as lowkey cosplay and acts as a conversation starter for fellow fans.

$$$:One Punch Man

Here we have the collected edition of one of the most popular shonen anime of the past few years, including all 12 episodes and 6 OVAs. One Punch Man’s comedy-heavy take on the superhero genre and amazing fight scenes demand blu-ray quality viewing as we all wait for season 2.

Gifts for the Shojo Fan

For fans of Sailor Moon, Blue Spring Ride, Glass Mask

Do you know someone who loves nothing more than love triangles and flurries of cherry blossoms? Does the sight of magical girl transformations make their heart flutter? Well we’ve got the perfect gifts for you to buy them!

$:Sailor Moon Socks

By the power of the moon, these socks will keep your toes warm during the winter. A perfect accessory for Usagi fans and a great way of buying someone socks for the holidays without the usual accompanying disappointment. With several different patterns, no one will be able to accuse you of using the same socks every day.

$$:CardCaptor Sakura Figure

With the approach of the Clear Card arc after nearly two decades of hiatus, it’s time to start gearing back up with Cardcaptor Sakura merchandise. Although the series is known for its myriad outfits courtesy of Sakura's best friend Tomoyo, nothing look is more iconic than Sakura in her trademark rollerblades.

$$$:Revolutionary Girl Utena

A genre-defining shojo title whose influence has reached well beyond the anime fandom. Revolutionary Girl Utena broke new ground when it aired in the late ’90s, and our friends at Nozomi are giving it a gorgeous box set fit for a prince. This gift is great for diehard fans, people who you know will fall in love with the series (everyone), and the rings make it perfect for finding your own rose bride.

Gifts for the Manga Reader

“Well, the anime was pretty good, but have you read the manga?” Here are some excellent gift choices for people who have always, always read the manga before watching the anime.

For fans who are reading a ton of manga that still haven't gotten anime adaptation.

$:The Promised Neverland

Although The Promised Neverland has been running in Weekly Shonen Jump for over a year, the first volume just made it to print in the United States this month. I won't ruin the twist, but there is more to this cute-looking series than meets the eye. If I had to provide one common title to compare it to I'd maybe say... 20th Century Boys?

$$:Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

An influential manga classic, this series was written and illustrated by Hayao Miyazaki himself. The Ghibli movie of the same name only gave you a taste of the greater story which has been collected in this beautiful 2-volume hardback box set. A seminal work and a must-have for manga collectors.

$$$:One Piece volume 1-23 box set

One of the most popular comics in the world, for good reason. One Piece has been running strong for 20 years and just keeps getting better! A perfect balance of action, hijinks, and some of the highest emotional highs of the genre. This set contains the first 23(!!!) volumes of the series and is a great starter pack for anyone looking to build out their collection. More of a briefcase than a box set, it's even got a carrying handle.

Gifts for the Anime Newbie

Anime is more popular than ever before, which means you probably know someone who is just getting started down the rabbit hole of anime fandom. Here are some presents to help you foster the growing anime fan in your life!

For fans who are dipping their toes in

$: Crunchyroll Membership

Is there any greater gift in the entire world than a Crunchyroll Premium membership? Access to one of the largest anime libraries in the Western hemisphere ad-free and a ton of digital manga—it’s never been easier to get into anime!

$$:Ghibli Bundle - Spirited Away/Princess Mononoke

Ghibli movies are some of the most well known anime to mainstream moviegoers and are responsible for bringing in more than their fair share of dedicated fans. Most of the people I talk to today got their start with either Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away. Now it's easy and affordable to buy them together!

$$$:Your name

Speaking of anime films that made it into the mainstream, Your name has become a global phenomenon and one of the most successful anime features of all time. The opus of science fiction romanticist, Makoto Shinkai is a perfect starting point for blossoming anime fans.

Gifts for the Arthouse Buff

We all have that one friend. You know the one: that person who has an encyclopedic knowledge of anime directors and a top 10 list of shows you’ve never heard of. Well I am that friend, so these gifts are objectively good choices for the arthouse buff in your life!

For fans of Bakemonogatari, The Tatami Galaxy, Yuri Kuma Arashi

$:In This Corner of the World

I'm gonna keep talking about anime films... While it didn’t make the bang that Your name did, In This Corner of the World was one of the best anime films of the same year. A painstakingly researched historic drama five years in the making from industry legend and Santa Claus of anime Masao Maruyama, anyone who loves anime or cinema in general should see this film.

$$:Only Yesterday

Isao Takahata is often overlooked in favor of Hayao Miyazaki, but his directorial work for Ghibli is just as important! Takahata’s 1991 film is a sensitive portrait of a young woman that reaches an impressive level of realism and depth.

$$$:Mob Psycho 100 Limited Edition

From the creator of One Punch Man, Mob Psycho is the Studio BONES given free reign to go wild over the visual medium. This series reached into the far corners of the medium trying out downright experimental animation techniques. It even comes with a spoon to practice your psychic abilities!

Gifts for the Horror Lover

Halloween may be months past, but it’s never a bad time for horror! While these gifts might not be for the faint-of-heart, anyone with a fondness for all things scary will be sure to love them!

For fans of Another, Shiki, Ghost-type Pokémon

$:Happiness

From Suzo Oshimi, the author of Flowers of Evil and Inside Mari, comes a vampire manga that is as horrific as it is beautiful. Tokyo Ghoul fans will find a familiar premise taken in a much darker and introspective direction.

$$:Tomie

Junji Ito’s works are being collected into beautiful black and white hardback editions and Tomie is one of his most famous, spawning a series of live-action films. This collected edition tells the story of its eponymous character, a mysterious and monstrous beauty.

$$$:When they Cry

Spread across three seasons, When They Cry is a master class in how to do horror right in anime. Suspense and body horror both used to their fullest for the entire series run is now available in one convenient package.

Gifts for the Figure Collector

Anime figures are one of the easiest ways to show your love for a favorite character! This year has seen plenty of great new collectibles, and here are three that are sure to delight the figure fan in your life!

For fans of Figmas, Nendoroids, and everything in between

$:My Hero Academia Pop! Vinyl Figure

Everyone’s favorite heroes in training plus the symbol of Piece, All-Might, available in Funko Pop! form! Cute, affordable, and, above all else, HEROIC. PLUS ULTRA!!

$$:Breath of the Wild Link Nendoroid

The newest entry in the Legend of Zelda series was hailed by critics and fans as the game of the year when it was first released, and now this version of Link is available as a Nendoroid! Be sure it check out the store page since nendroid never skimps on customizability and accessories!

$$$:Viktor Nikiforov

Yuri’s coach is immortalized in this beautifully realized figure! Viktor’s known for always surprising his fans and your loved one opening a gift to find this figure within will be no exception. A must-have for Yuri!!! on ICE fans. There's also a Yuri version to recreate their duet.

Gifts for the Gamer

There are anime fans and there are video game fans, but what to buy those who occupy the middle segment of this particular Venn Diagram? Don’t you worry, we’ve got you covered with these gifts that are sure to put please any anime-inclined gamers!

$:Battle Chef Brigade

Recent digital release for Windows and Nintendo Switch perfect for fans of everything from Food Wars! to Avatar: The Last Airbender. This charming game combines side-scrolling combat with a novel Puzzle Fighter-like cooking system. Hunt monsters and and use their parts to win cooking battles!

$$:Persona 5

One of the greatest videogames of what has turned out to be a stacked year for gaming. Persona 5 did a rare thing by living up to its own hype, delivering one of the most stylish games in recent history, including a great story with attractive characters and fun gameplay.

$$$:Dark Souls the Board Game

It’s the Dark Souls of board games! FROM may be finished with the franchise, but you can invade your friends homes to take on dangerous bosses as a group. It’s all the soul-crushing difficulty of the game except you’ve got a team at your back.

Gifs for the Fashionable Friend

$:All-Might Socks

Your feet are fine now. Why? BECAUSE I’M HERE. AHAHAHAHAHA.

...

Anyways these All-Might socks are really good.

$$:Yuri Katsuki sweatpants

Do you know someone who wants to dress like a professional figure skater while simultaneously harboring a passion for loungewear? These Yuri Katsuki Sweatpants would make a great gift for them! Perfect for lounging around the house and eating pork cutlet bowls.

$$$:Subaru Hoodie

This hoodie is perfect for the person in your life who is willing to try and fail and try again! It’s a gift your loved ones can enjoy again and again… and again… and again...

The holidays are drawing closer but there's still plenty of time to find the perfect gift. As a self-described anime and gift-giving expert, I'm confident this list has just what you need to end the year with a bang and cause the recipients of your gifts to spontaneously start conversations with others about what a great person you are when you're not around. Until next year, good shopping, good buying, and goodbye-ing...

---

Peter Fobian is an Associate Features Editor for Crunchyroll, author of Monthly Mangaka Spotlight, writer for Anime Academy, and contributor at Anime Feminist. You can follow him on Twitter @PeterFobian.

By: [email protected]

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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