They Are So Adorable And Special

I cried reading this on the toilet

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

Yona of the Dawn Chapter 12

The Valley that The Voice of God Calls

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

"I want the power of people, not god" 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I need you right here with me"

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

(they are also just adorable here)

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

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

ace is such a beautiful character. growing up hearing the world hate his father & hearing how they would harm gol d. roger’s child yet never letting it tear him down makes ace so resilient. he grew up with so much rage & resentment but because of sabo and luffy, he understood what it felt like to have people love you no matter what. all his life, he was wanting to find out if he was worthy of being born. he wanted to become a pirate so he can become something and make a name for himself. despite his self hatred, ace found his way to the whitebeard pirates who made him feel welcomed.

even though ace felt hated by the world, his ability to love was so strong. it takes so much strength to be kind & to love so deeply when all you know is hatred. yet, ace was able to become a captain a few months after sailing the seas. he became a commander with loyal followers. everywhere ace went, there were people who cared about him. ace grew up to be an amazing person who can love & be loved in returned.

in his final moments, ace protects luffy. his little brother, the one who was there with him in his youth, the one person who truly knows ace. even in death, ace chooses to act with love. he was born into the world hated but he died surrounded by people who love him so much. ace was finally able to see his life was worth something. rather than being angry, ace chooses to thank luffy & his crew for loving him. it’s a huge testament to his growth to be full of gratitude in his last moments rather than rage like he once was as a child. it destroyed me watching ace die. he deserved so much more. he deserved to live, to find himself, to grow stronger, to love more.

his character is truly heartbreaking but so beautiful. i will always love ace & miss him so much. <3

what i love about giyuu tomioka is how full of love he is. even when he doesn't believe he deserves to be happy, it's so easy for him to take care of tanjirou and nezuko. it's natural for him to want to protect and save those he can. being loving and heroic is just who giyuu is.

vinland saga 218 broke my heart. i have no clue what is going to happen in the next chapters. all i know is i don’t want thorfinn to cry like that ever again. literally the worst thing i could ever see. thorfinn works so hard and just wants to be happy but is always having to deal with something awful. i feel so sick.

art will save you, being unreasonably passionate about something niche will save you, letting past sources of joy show you the way back to yourself will save you, earnestness over composure will save you, the natural world will save you, caring for something bigger than yourself will save you, daring to be seen will save you, kindness not as a whim but a principle will save you, appreciation as a practice will save you, daring to try something new will save you, grounding will save you, love will save you, one good nights sleep will save you

my thoughts on mob psycho 100

mob psycho is an anime i have seen the first season for but never got around to finishing the series. so, i finally decided to watch all 3 seasons and i am so glad i did!

it's a fun story with unforgettable characters, insane animation, and incredible writing. i've seen season 1 a few times so i already knew i was going to enjoy the series but seasons 2 & 3 made me fall in love even more with the story.

mob is an AMAZING protagonist who wishes to better himself without the help of his powers. he's so kind throughout the series. even when faced with a terrifying situation, he pushes through without changing who he is. he quickly became a favorite character of mine, and watching his development is the best thing ever. what makes me love mob so much is how his goals are so simple and realistic, but because of how well done the character writing is, it makes you attached to mob.

reigen is another one of my favorite characters!! at first, he's this funny guy who basically lies for a living, but he has a heart of gold that mob takes notice of. reigen's arc in s2 was so well done! the man who lies to everyone was face to face with the consequences of those lies, yet mob came in to save the day during the press conference. what i love most about reigen is when he realizes he's hurt someone, he always recognizes his wrongdoings and tries to fix the problem.

this series is a quirky, beautiful story full of incredible characters, and the finale was fantastic!! mob has finally accepted all parts of himself. it was such a fantastic journey of self-love and acceptance. ending the series with reigen telling the truth was just perfect!

i was smiling throughout the last moment in the final episode. mob has created an amazing life where his effort is seen, and he's surrounded by love. reigen's surprise birthday party made me so happy. it was so nice to see reigen no longer alone on his birthday, with all the people he's impacted happily celebrating him. a perfect end to a perfect series!!

mob psycho 100 is easily a 10/10 series for me!! a comforting watch that excites you and inspires you to be kinder. i highly recommend that everyone watch this at some point in their lives!! I LOVE MOB PSYCHO!!

yona of the dawn is such an amazing manga. full of amazing characters, one of the best found families ever created, and a slowburn romance that's so beautifully written. the plot is incredible and it gets better every chapter. i love yona of the dawn so much!

He's still the same smiley boy🥺

kagehina running together in official art always makes me so happy!! always running after each other, always one step behind the other, always working towards the same goal. running side by side as they become stronger together. NO LONGER ARE THEY RUNNING ALONE!! they chase their dreams knowing they will always have the other right next to them.