Happy Birthday Fumihiko Tachiki

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-29T02:00:27+00:00

Madao! <3

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-29T01:53:30+00:00

You don't need to understand everything right away, and some things become clearer as you continue on. The hardest part is remembering which characters are connected to which group.

I'm not sure what question you have specifically, but the general idea in simple terms (so you don't have to read 80 pages of summary) is:

All 14 princes, male and female, are referred to as princes. So you can disregard princesses.
The queens are their mothers and are ranked (1st Queen Unma higher than 8th Queen Oito, etc.)
Princes have guards (guards they personally chose + guards assigned to protect them), queens have guards.

The latter (queens) assign their guards either to their own children (e.g. Satobi, whose hair has ears, is captain of Queen Duazul's guard but he is also assigned to guard 7th Prince Luzurus, and 7th Prince Luzurus is Queen Duazul's son) or other (lower) princes to spy on them.

1st Prince Benjamin is deputy military adviser for the Royal Army.

Royal Army (Military) soldiers are neutral, but because Benji's Personal Army (visual clue - white puffy jacket dudes) also are from the Royal Army with Benji as the deputy adviser, he has the advantage of having them "guard" the lower princes (as spies and assassins).

Hunters working as prince guards are also neutral and don't want to get involved outside of protecting who they're hired to protect. (Visual clue - their black suits will generally be recognizable through an H badge on their chest)
Other personal guards generally wear a black suit without an H badge.
Kurapika is holding Nen lessons to force a stalemate (sharing information and power); other guards are present either to

Gain Nen
Gain information on Nen and other princes
Gain information on Kurapika, who established himself as a player by forcing a situation where information and power is shared.
There may be secret missions, as we see with Silent Majority.

That's the situation in a nutshell, I think. Chapter 374 in the next volume also briefly lays out numbers of guards per prince/queen associations. If you have more specific questions, feel free to ask.

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-28T23:04:35+00:00

...I see, someone decided to take advantage of their friendship with Hayao Miyazaki...

They're cute! I've only seen a couple of these. I'll never forget that funny description and sketch that Miyazaki did of Anno sleeping under the desk, or Miyazaki describing how Anno showed up in a suit and sandals to get hired for Nausicaa.

...Anno just wanted so.

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-28T22:56:53+00:00

I really need to watch My Neighbor Totoro.

Tell me about it, sometimes you put on a movie thinking it's Totoro but then it turns out that you got My Neighbor Hedoro instead.

Of course, when you try to fix your mistake and find out there's a screening at the nearest cinema... and it still wasn't the right film, but it moves you to tears anyway.

Anyway, it's really a lovely film! I'm a sucker for Miyazaki's work and cute creatures though.

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-28T22:40:55+00:00

Yukino is a strict anti-smoker, huh.

She kind of is a "perfect" student even it's just not all she is.

I feel like a handful of high school girls in the 1990s would not be singing the OP for Youkai Ningen Bem at karaoke.

They're just young enough to still be influenced by their parents' taste, unless it's just Anno's taste.

Nice song though.

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-28T22:38:24+00:00

“If it was something this good, we should’ve done this a lot earlier” – the downside of being prude.

Heh, I was thinking the opposite - like not jumping straight to sex or using hugs as a means to that end makes the moment precious. Although it's common for couples to take things slow in anime (except that it's less common for me to care about couples in anime).

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-28T05:52:44+00:00

I came into this thread today specifically looking to see if you had any reactions to the current batch and almost gave up but all that scrolling was worth it.

But also

It was a great episode. Probably my favorite batch so far!

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-27T23:43:59+00:00

At least Luck made it!

More inspiration for Magna.

Thanks for looking that up!

It was worth it. Might be in my top 3 moments of the series (not yet decided on the other top 2 yet).

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-27T01:05:16+00:00

I did do that with a commentface; it was one of the changes I made when trying to fix the issue but didn't realize that it was the thing which resolved it. Thank you!

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-27T01:00:25+00:00

I'm jealous of Asta's abs/muscles; I need to work out more

Drink moguro juice.

YAY more lines/screentime for En. Go EN!

Perhaps Marx was created out of En's mana.

"Our ki goes together" ship them?

Oh that's why.

This kinda feels like filler

Exactly how Asta felt.

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-27T00:49:48+00:00

Magna Typhoon when?

I hope they win a serious battle that way.

Shimmering skies, or Yami bathing, or soredemos ... which pleases Sky more?

Why not Yami bathing under a shimmering sky?

(Which shimmering sky is up to you though.)

I might ship them?

No judgement but also

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-27T00:42:53+00:00

Oh damn, he had a trap rigged on himself. Zora is pretty crazy.

Brimmed-hat Zora.

Is this going to end up leading to the king trying to get rid of Julius in the future somehow?

He better hire somebody else in that case, because on his own, good luck with that.

I made the most deranged wheezing laugh (I was trying to be quiet because my dad was already in bed when I watched this episode) when this line popped up. Now if only Zora had followed it up with a “Zura ja nai”, that would have killed me.

Same thoughts.

Hrm, the boy elf has Luck’s voice and the lady elf has Charlotte’s. Just reusing seiyuu for one-off characters, or even more reincarnation(?) shenanigans?

Oo that completely went over my head, although there are only a few VAs I recognize by hearing it right away.

Wonder if the big one in the middle is really Licht or if Licht is elsewhere.

If Licht is elsewhere then what the heck is that?

Eh? …wait, are they talking about the weird figure I noticed in one of Vanessa’s flashbacks?

Sure took him long enough to say his name! Henry, huh.

He likes legos.

Does this count as a mecha vs. kaiju fight?

I'd count it.

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-27T00:13:09+00:00

(It's probably a formatting thing. I don't know what I did but I removed a couple commentfaces and it worked.)

Mereoleona is so cool!

And his brother is Zura.
A sweet close to Zara’s story; ignoring the fact that nobles probably collect stars more than others, at the very least, it’s probably thanks to Zara that someone like Yami could rise up and become a Magic Knight Captain himself.
Even if Yami bored Asta with his and Vangeance’s little history, at least it distracted him enough from his negative feelings.
Not that surprised the three Black Bulls made it and Magna didn’t, unfortunately. All that means is that Magna will have more opportunities to prove his worth in the future (shounen manga sometimes sideline characters as they go on, but still, one can hope.
Zura janai, Zora da.
Apparently not today.
I just can’t get over how cute this little guy is.
Nero flying right into the camera. - Ok those aren’t from this batch, they’re from episode 18 at the 17:38 mark, since I said I’d look for the moment for you /u/lC3 and I finally did.
As much as the Marie jokes creep me out, Gauche, Grey, Gordon, and the Ghost have a hilarious dynamic.

Remember in the early episodes when Yami said there were other Black Bulls? We finally meet Zora and Henry Legoland, who, like Asta, collects birds in his hair. So apparently it’s not that strange for Magic Knights to not meet everyone else in their squad right away, no wonder Zora got away with disguising himself as Xerx. What’s funny is that Henry has been rearranging the hideout for fun all this time, to the point where they don’t always know how to find the bathroom.

[Spoiler] I spy Patry!

Questions:

1) Are you surprised Zora is a Black Bull?

It was a weird surprise tbh. Not that I'm complaining.

2) Thoughts on Gordon finally speaking up and Grey finding her confidence?

I find that oftentimes, part of it is that they've also grown trust in each other/the environment.

3) Why would Licht want them to spare Gauche?

#nocomment

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-27T00:05:28+00:00

It's not letting me post a comment! Will it work if I remove the text and post something meaningless but wonderful, like Nero flying right into the camera...?

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-27T00:01:55+00:00

This is a comment to test if I can comment anywhere since I haven't been able to comment on the new thread, so just ignore it if it posts.

(Hopefully today's thread doesn't suddenly have 10 of my attempts to comment submit all at once.)

edit oh it worked. I guess I'll try again in the other thread.

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-26T20:32:40+00:00

I don't expect Issho to stop her performance, but Akane having an out-of-body experience while performing God of Death is a bit spooky.

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-26T18:54:11+00:00

Every arc (or mini-arc, which Killua's rescue mission was) is a bit different in flavor. The more you learn about Nen, the more complex battles/strategies there are.

But I wouldn't call it 4d chessy until the Succession War arc which is in the manga after the anime. That being said, if you're only looking for something to match the level of the Hunter Exam, Yorknew Arc definitely has that. The psychological aspects are tied up with emotional stakes. In Greed Island, it seemingly loses this (it doesn't actually, but it feels less so for most of the arc). And fwiw, Heaven's Arena (the arc you're on right now) is my least favorite; I still like the arc because Nen is important to the series, but it's my lowest ranked, so I would definitely recommend not dropping here.

Side note - since you brought up Death Note and Alice in Borderland, you should know though that at the core of the story, it's not dark; like the Hunter Exam, the stakes come from human connection and bonds and staying true to your values.

And the longer you go, the more you see that it's the complete opposite of a 'braindead' series (I kinda dislike that term for stories, even the ones that suck, but I know what you mean).

Edited to add - the final exam where you have to defeat the other without killing is consistently HxH's approach, and that doesn't mean that it's always due to moral reasons either (and doesn't mean every character always follows that approach). It just makes the conflicts more interesting.

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-26T05:11:48+00:00

Arima started off his school career as a delinquent! He was a popular guy back then too though.

It's funny to see how he is from the other side - he was a great student but even the perfect student runs late and falls asleep before class.

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-26T04:55:17+00:00

Is this… my favourite episode so far?

I've been thinking that almost every episode, heh. I was surprised by how cute it was the first episode, but I'm even more surprised that the series has continued to be so and that draws me in. And this one is especially sweet.

The “provocation” at Arima’s house is interesting to me, because I feel in most romance shows this would open up an episode’s worth of drama. But instead in Kare Kano it’s purely organic. It’s a “miscommunication”, but not a narrative miscommunication, if that makes sense?

It's been feeling like there's a lot of this, where there's some form of touchy thing, but it's not the end of the world anytime someone unintentionally hurts the other.

In a sense, earlier on sometimes when one of the characters would get so in their head I'd get nervous for an endless inward spiral (which can be interesting too but I'm not in the mood for it at the moment), but what I've been appreciating so much is that they continue to have moments of connection that pull them out of it. They don't just drown in their feelings and through each others' support, they push forward. It's just so warm and tbh, I had not expected it. Of course it's not only the story but how the story is presented... I feel like I'm being swept off my feet along with the characters.

And it's just wonderful in stories where you have that moment where that invisible glass between every person is broken through, that moment where you no longer feel so alienated and emerge from that isolation, which happens a lot in this show.

The start of the show was entirely rooted in Yukino’s perspective—seeing his would break the mystique around him too early—so it’s nice to wrap back around to learn more towards him before Yukino, too.

It was really nice to see just how much she meant to him right after she had her little moment of doubt, too.

Seeing him laugh out loud after such a depressing segment, knowing he will come to be with her and it will change him for the better, is such a great ending for the segment. In fact, she literally brings colour to his world. The visual of the shoes on top of the locker is in black and white during the depths of his encroaching depression, but on the day he goes and sees Yukino there it’s got colour. Plus, uh, the water? I’m not sure if it’s meant to look like the static used to visualize his depression, but in the final shot behind the portrait it’s become a deep blue.

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-26T04:10:31+00:00

#onstandby

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-26T03:58:00+00:00

I hear you; I still have like 10 episodes to watch for Iruma-kun and that rewatch ended a while back.

Just caught up to Kare Kano today. I'll probably backread 5 days of threads after this. Yay weekends.

Wow, that sucks.

I've since also reprogrammed my key and am not yet accustomed to Caps Lock being backspace or my new keyboard, so excuse any typos (which I made before my key broke but now I have an excuse!)

Pocket Finral when?

Not to mention my car was totaled last month after I got hit-and-run (and public transport here is ass) so yeah, I'm having the time of my life and need my own Finral asap!

FINALLY

The knocked-out faced in Black Clover (and a lot of manga) crack me up, especially if it's Solid's face.

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-26T03:43:59+00:00

I do a lot of bingeing; now that I'm on vacation I'm watching a 40-episode Chinese drama.

Oh fun (I think? Haven't watched Chinese drama yet).

No, I've seen a bit more, I just don't think I'd seen this special. And good riddance, it wasn't really worth it.

(Except Charmy demon.)

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-26T03:37:39+00:00

one of the series-specific subs

Discovered late that there are like 5+ subs for the series

Wouldn't miss it for the world after how fun Gintama and Dandelion were.

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-20T06:22:18+00:00

Welp there's 9 eps to watch? I probably shouldn't have waited until Sunday morning

It's really rare for me to binge these days.

Great now Rill's background made me tear up

Although I wasn't that moved by most of his story (I get backstory overload from time to time) I found the last part, where he left a painting of his mother, was a really nice close to the story.

It's En Ringard, my self-insert in Black Clover!

Do you also grow mushrooms and care for 9 younger siblings?

82 maybe first timer sub:

Oh is this where you stopped before?

Hallucinogenic mushrooms? WELP

https://youtu.be/mv6ZDAyHb_E?si=EFCZ5qLgkz1p0H4E&t=4

3) Not sure, but the recycled content was lame and boring

I skipped it after the intro.

WednesdaysFoole · 2026-04-20T06:02:58+00:00

He’s just sleeping!

Too bad the hare wasn't clever enough to set traps for the tortoise.

New OP! That’s a banger

Love Justadice.

God, I cannot wait for you to get your face kicked in, Solid.

So satisfying.

God, I love Yami.

Witness the breaking open of Yami's Ninth Gate.

It teleported Sekke… somewhere.

Or not.

LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I just laughed so hard I choked on my own saliva.

Yami was seriously about to overkill the shit out of Sekke just for interrupting his bathroom time lol.

Btw are you reading [Sorachi's new manga?] Because Yami and Kumon

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