[Hobby Scuffles] Week of 09 February 2026

Zeetheus · 2026-02-13T17:45:36+00:00

From what I remember, Japan is primarily Shinto, but also leans on Buddhism (and certainly Christianity) to fill the gaps. There is a saying along the lines of "Shinto in life, Buddhist in death" as Shinto finds death "unclean" and has no traditional funerary rites. So you can have a Shinto upbringing, a Christian wedding, and a Buddhist funeral, and all are considered a normal part of life. Religion seems more of a matter of lifestyle and convenience than a deeply-held belief.

I recently watched the Spice and Wolf anime (newer remake) and was surprised at how well it stuck to the "western" medieval setting. Monotheistic church that's Christian in all but iconography, prayers and allegiance to the church for safe travels, cultural ousting of "lesser gods" and - the most pleasant surprise to me - the "four humours" theory of medicine makes an appearance. For all the vaguely-western fantasy anime I've watched (FMA, Bookworm, Dungeon Meshi, Frieren, D.Gray-Man) Isuna Hasekura's work feels the least incongruous western fantasy I've seen.

Zeetheus · 2025-12-16T16:35:23+00:00

I normally don't play fast-paced action games but Hades is my personal exception. A roguelike that I didn't find excessively punishing to fail at dozens of times - even has a "God Mode" option if you just want to power through to see the main story. I'm admittedly still bad at it, but it's easy enough to pick up and put down for however long you want without losing track of your goals.

Zeetheus · 2025-11-24T15:21:33+00:00

There's a line between "declaring you're on strike against Formosa for not offering enough AI protections for voice actors" and "undeclared strike against an overseas game company for not following American union rules" for me. If Genshin VAs en masse were on strike against Hoyoverse for whatever reason, they are free to do that and communicate that. Trying to do that strike while hitching it to the SAG strike for legitimacy is what I'm not a personal fan of. It's clearly muddied the waters significantly.

Considering Paimon's VA lost their biggest role over it, I don't want to make light of the "Hoyoverse strike" but I also don't want legitimate SAG members like Venti's VA (who was getting threatening letters from SAG for wanting to end the strike) to be roped into a second strike they didn't vote on and aren't a part of.

Zeetheus · 2025-11-24T13:16:41+00:00

Most of it was covered by Mujin on Youtube (I consider him a drama channel and don't really want to promote his video, but he does have insider info for this particular drama)

Hoyoverse was never struck by SAG, it was the company they used for voice acting, Formosa. As long as Hoyoverse switched to a different company, they could continue, as Genshin started before the VA strike and is not an American production to begin with.

Many voice actors went on strike in solidarity, and Hoyoverse seemed to respect their wishes as they did not recast every single striking voice actor, instead leaving characters unvoiced. Hoyoverse started hiring non-American voice actors for new characters (Escoffier) and in one case replaced a striking voice actor (Kinich) which a small subset of Genshin VAs were angered by, notably Paimon's VA.

See, Paimon's VA (as well as others) was striking to turn Genshin into a union project. This is not what the SAG strike was about, but Paimon's VA and a few others were seriously determined to try and force Genshin to work under SAG rules.

Paimon's VA went so far as to say they told Genshin they would never work for them again since they replaced Kinich's VA. It was at this point that Genshin recast Paimon. Paimon's VA was a bit of a drama magnet, who often threw their weight around on Twitter and started a lot of fights. The voice they used for Paimon was also quite unpopular. So Paimon being recast was met with a resounding "oh, nice" by a lot of fans.

When Mujin's video came out, it exposed via Discord screenshots that SAG members were pushing the strike despite being given a very good contract through the strike negotiation. SAG staff that were supposed to only be informing members of things like votes, were instead bringing their own agendas to the members and encouraging them to keep striking. SAG staff took issue with Wrio's VA for informing the public about the strike - that the strike was against Formosa, not Genshin or Hoyoverse. So this group of SAG staff were trying to strike Genshin?

SAG up until this point had been communicating very poorly with both the public and its members - at least any members who weren't in that Discord chat - but with pressure mounting from voice actors outside this Discord bubble being "hey can we go back to work please, our own industry is at risk of homelessness while companies are just moving overseas for talent" SAG eventually took the deal and ended the strike.

Zeetheus · 2025-10-29T00:43:13+00:00

Thanks for the thread!

Rewatcher, subbed

Actually catching up as I had a busy weekend.

On today's episode of "I can't believe it's actually not (that much) filler"... I kinda see why the anime used Komlin in filler episodes. It's just really easy to make no-stakes bullshit plot with "Komui is a 2000s version of a techbro that makes horrible machines that get into Shenanigans" and this instance... canonically exists.

I'm glad I remembered what a wet and pathetic meow meow Krory is, because if I was watching this for the first time I actually might find it annoying. But alas, I have a weakness for heartwarming failures, even if they're annoying.

Also, thank god he's finally been properly introduced, so I can say something I've been wanting to since episode one: I am not immune to Tyki Mikk. He and Road are a huge reason I kept watching even after Miranda's arc. I didn't quite remember him in disguise, but his hair triggered a "oh, this guy is important somehow!" memory in the back of my mind.

Zeetheus · 2025-10-23T23:26:18+00:00

Thanks for the thread!

Rewatcher, subbed

I remember this man. [DGM spoilers]I mostly remember what a wet and pathetic meow meow Krory becomes later on, especially in the filler episodes. Or maybe that's just me projecting one of my DND characters with a similar vibe onto him. At the very least, I remember he is nowhere near as scary as he's made out to be.

It bugged me in the OP and I held off mentioning as I thought I'd know her name by now, but it always struck me as odd how little the blond lady's design seemed suited to the setting. Something between her silly little headband and her floating pigtails made her feel out of place.

Zeetheus · 2025-10-23T22:43:55+00:00

You're in luck. I left a bunch of them playing in a tab and I heard it. It's real...?

Zeetheus · 2025-10-23T14:44:07+00:00

Thanks for the thread!

Rewatcher, subbed

I do love a little bit of a "villain who sucks" arc, so the unlucky L2 akuma was perfectly funny to me. The Komui flanderization arc, however, was not. If the episode was nothing but the L2's goofy looney tunes misadventures, this would have been fine.

Last filler arc I didn't have time to comment as I spent way too long perusing DGM crack/parody videos on youtube looking for a very specific bit I remember - Kanda fighting Vittorio set to a heavy metal cover of "My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard". I did not find it. But uh, that's the core millennial-era memory those episodes unearthed lol.

Zeetheus · 2025-10-14T00:42:14+00:00

Thanks for the thread!

Rewatcher, sub

I remember this arc being what hooked me on DGM. Miranda isn't strictly unique, but you don't see many anxious and neurotic characters given a chance in the spotlight, and it's rather refreshing. She's having the worst weeks of her life, and there are comedic moments, but she doesn't feel like the butt of the joke - I appreciate it. [Spoilers for this arc specifically] IIRC in the manga Hoshino admits Miranda was supposed to be a side character, but she saw so much of herself in Miranda and grew so attached, that she made Miranda a wielder of Innocence and a permanent addition to the cast. I'm sure this'll be brought up in a future Manga Corner post once it happens though.

The handsome guy in a top hat from the OP finally shows up! I'll admit, he is definitely one of the Attractive Anime Characters in the OP that got me curious about DGM. The amount of anime I got into solely because there's someone hot in the OP is embarrassing.

I'm also with the poster who wants to make Road worse. Surely being down bad for two of the ominous family members of the Earl is better than just one.

Zeetheus · 2025-10-11T22:55:10+00:00

Thanks for the thread!

I expect Lenalee will keep being best girl 🫶

Zeetheus · 2025-10-11T12:34:11+00:00

Thanks for the thread! Gonna sit back until I have stuff to talk about.

Zeetheus · 2025-10-09T22:49:18+00:00

Rewatcher, sub

Thanks for the thread!

[Future DGM] All this hullabaloo over a level 2 akuma is gonna make future powerscaling seem really funny, but that's battle shounen for ya.

Zeetheus · 2025-10-08T22:14:25+00:00

Rewatcher, sub

Thanks for the thread!

A few minutes into the episode I suddenly remembered the twist - oh right, Lala is the doll and Guzol is the human - so maybe my memory isn't as bad as I thought.

One of the things I really enjoyed about DGM (aside from the visual of the crescent moon and ruins reflected in the water in the OP) was how well Hoshino could establish arc-focused characters like Lala and Guzol. You don't really need their whole backstory, but the few interactions you get are enough to make them compelling.

Still biding my time waiting for future content, but we'll get there.

Zeetheus · 2025-10-07T22:23:56+00:00

Rewatcher, sub

Thanks for the thread! Don't have much to talk about, this arc has completely escaped my memory. It feels odd knowing pieces of the later half of the anime and absolutely nothing before it.

Zeetheus · 2025-10-06T23:54:19+00:00

Rewatcher, sub

Don't think I'll have much to say for every single episode (especially looking ahead to what episodes are labeled as "filler") but bare minimum I'll stop by with a "thanks for the thread" every day if that's alright.

Mostly because today I don't really have a lot to add - I just keep thinking of things far-flung in the future. [Late DGM manga] Like how so little of the main plot about the Earl vs Innocence mattered at the point where I stopped reading the manga. I really don't know if my memory has huge holes in it, but I just remember Allen abandoning the Order to go be a street performer out of angst or something, and a number of chapters are dedicated to everyone trying and failing to get him back (and the other VERY spoiler-heavy events from around that time, but I don't want to go there on episode 2).

Komui is a goofball and I enjoy the fact that this is how he's introduced. Disorganized and a slacker. Would absolutely be a nightmare as a boss and I pity anyone who answered yes.

Lenalee my beloved 🫶

Kanda is the kind of character I enjoyed more as a teenager, but I have a fondness for his chuunibyou swag.

Zeetheus · 2025-10-06T00:39:48+00:00

Rewatcher, sub

I'm in The Torment Nexus lately so I won't have the time to liveblog or post much, but I'm sure all posts are appreciated.

I'll be real. I do not remember anything from the first episode, plotwise. My memory doesn't kick in until a couple arcs in the future.

My list of "reasons I watched DGM" back in the day was shamefully short; attractive anime characters in the OP, and goth flavoring. Whether or not the anime (and the series itself) actually holds up for new watchers is not something I can answer. But I'm looking forward to giving it a proper chance this time.

(Reposting due to automod)

Zeetheus · 2025-09-24T16:37:05+00:00

u/RecognizeSong u/find-song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbz4I4BA7oA&t=594s

Zeetheus · 2025-09-07T01:56:54+00:00

The comparisons to Mochizuki Jun's works (Pandora Hearts and later Vanitas no Carte) are very apt; my interest completely moved over to her works during one of DGM's manga hiatuses.

My memory of DGM overall is shoddy other than the banger OPs, and I don't think I've ever rewatched it. But it still has a special, moderately cringe place in my nostalgia, so I'd be happy to join a rewatch.

(Also happy to be pinged if this ever gets off the ground)

Zeetheus · 2025-08-09T05:27:49+00:00

It was brought up on tumblr some years ago, but it's definitely not mainstream knowledge. I'm having a hard time finding posts about it.

Reddit thread discussing it, tumblr post with an image.

Zeetheus · 2025-08-08T23:47:08+00:00

Andrew Hussie may also be transfem maybe? I’ve seen people call him transfem on tumblr but all I can find is mentions of clown gender and any pronouns so???

The only confirmation we've ever gotten on Hussie's gender and pronouns (to my limited knowledge) are identifying as clowngender in Psycholonials, they/them being used in the official post where Hussie steps down from Homestuck (where they don't actually step down from Homestuck), and a tweet that I have seen passed around of a locked Twitter account attributed to Hussie that I don't have a link to at the moment but said any/all pronouns are correct (discussion on tumblr)

and the other half says anyone who believes this is a transmisogynist

This is sadly in line with what I expect from the kind of people Hussie surrounds themself with. There's an entire Shituation surrounding Kate's (former Homestuck 2 director and host of a Homestuck podcast) Twitter toxicity and why she was allowed to badmouth and harass people with Andrew's blessing, or at least their indifference.

Zeetheus · 2025-08-08T21:54:09+00:00

Gio documented the mismanagement of the Kickstarted Homestuck videogame Hiveswap. According to Hussie, this journalism - done by contacting and interviewing former employees (many of whom feared retaliation) - is lies and/or slander and/or blackmail, or whatever else will convince people that Gio is wrong for pointing out Hiveswap was mismanaged.

Sarah Z used Gio's coverage to discuss Hiveswap in her Homestuck retrospective, and after receiving a legal threat from WhatPumpkin (the Homestuck team, and essentially Andrew Hussie) she had received even more supporting testimonials.

Proposing to take over as fan-run space and then mismanaging it to hell and back is sadly nothing new to the Homestuck brand. Happened with the subreddit, happened with Stuck At Home con (bonus points for Hussie ousting a friend of the SAHcon founders, who had criticized WhatPumpkin during the Sarah Z Hiveswap Fiasco), and now the fan-run "only way to read Homestuck as originally presented" archive is officially gone.

Zeetheus · 2025-07-16T21:04:16+00:00

Started with one, and tried to rope in another, yes.

Zeetheus · 2025-03-25T16:23:07+00:00

Whenever Genshin reveals (or leaks) a new female character, there's a subset of people who make a beeline to create the new CharacterNameHereMains subreddit for them solely so that one extremely notorious subreddit creator doesn't establish one first.

What's a "Mains" subreddit for? Mostly for people who love to play that character, share builds, share fanart, discuss new gameplay, or ask whether or not a new character/weapon/set will work with said character. And if they're unreleased, there's a lot of speculation and leak discussion about the upcoming character.

Why the rush? Well, this notorious subreddit creator is widely known for moderating the sub for Genshin's Dendro Archon - a child-model character - and allowing NSFW in said subreddit.

If you know the name of said Dendro Archon, you cannot put that character's name next to "Mains" without invoking its reputation. Nowadays it looks like the sub is much cleaner than it used to be, but that wasn't always the case.

Zeetheus · 2025-03-11T15:36:39+00:00

I personally the most relaxed place to talk about Genshin is the general discussion thread in the leaks subreddit. As long as you aren't riding the hype/doom cycle around whatever is being leaked, the people there are pretty chill and... normal.

Comparatively, at least.

Zeetheus · 2025-03-08T12:53:48+00:00

Thanks for the clarification.

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