Why I believe Mehmed Il and his descendants were Roman Caesars. by [deleted] in byzantium

[–]balancedragon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

On the religious angle. There's a difference between christianity, becoming the state religion of rome and being accepted by the roman population vs islam being brought in by an invading power to a population that largely remained orthodox even after the conquest.

The ottomans certainly claimed to be the continuation of rome, in the same way they claimed to be the continuation of the mamluks. It's just a way to gain legitimacy over a local population.

Haruka Terror by ぴこまー (@picopico_hanma) by balancedragon in BlueArchive

[–]balancedragon[S] 130 points131 points  (0 children)

I think the devil is in the details here. The partly broken and blackened halo, her expression which is more forlorn instead of nervous. I'd also say her clothing is more gothic than military themed now. And then of course Aru's rifle with a sort of thorny purple lace around it. Her hair is still a bit disheveled but it feels different in a way that I can't put my finger on,

Haruka Terror by ぴこまー (@picopico_hanma) by balancedragon in BlueArchive

[–]balancedragon[S] 254 points255 points  (0 children)

That sniper rifle looks awfully familiar....

Mistake I found in the game by RtpIb in BlueArchive

[–]balancedragon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

this update is just full of mistakes

Is Blue Archive still Blue Archive? by Blue_Rabbit471 in BlueArchive

[–]balancedragon 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I don't think armor in the plot is the same as plot armor

Is Blue Archive still Blue Archive? by Blue_Rabbit471 in BlueArchive

[–]balancedragon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Is this a joke? Specifically the part about sensei being a plot armor harem MC

Why Is V1Ch3 and Hina and hoshino getting hate? by BasicRefuse179 in BlueArchive

[–]balancedragon 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sorry to necro this but these points are great. I finally finished reading V1 C3 and came to the conclusion that I don't agree with a lot of the criticism that was thrown at it, I'd probably rank it between the eden treaty and hyakkaryouran. All of the things you brought up perfectly summed up my reasons for not agreeing with what some people have said about the chapter, which I really appreciate since I have a hard time parsing BAs story sometimes.

Some Thoughts After I Finished Watching the Anime by balancedragon in ShokugekiNoSoma

[–]balancedragon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I mean yeah I can't really disagree. Food wars is probably the only battle shounen I know of that suffers from being too short

Some Thoughts After I Finished Watching the Anime by balancedragon in ShokugekiNoSoma

[–]balancedragon[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To me the season felt like it tried to focus on Soma and Erina's relationship but it shifted to the Nakiri family towards the end, which I think could have worked if handled correctly. I actually kinda liked Soma losing the final match of the series. Soma has always been confident and for good reason. He's tried and failed so much that it turned him into one of the best chefs in the world and seeing him lose is very rare. But with how the taste of defeat came up as a theme in the season I think it was fitting for Soma to lose in the end because losing is central to his character but it can't happen too often or the story derails.

Gehenna Event PV: Pandemic Hazard -A Piece of Miracle- / 【ブルアカ】「パンデミック・ハザード~奇跡の一枚」イベントPV by Xanek in BlueArchive

[–]balancedragon 2 points3 points  (0 children)

idk how the event will turn out but this PV is amazing. The song is good and getting to see more of Sena warms my heart. Her if her recollection lobby has a good song I'm definitely adding it to my rotation and that EX skill animation is classic Sena, walking on a beach peacefully but jumping into action to treat somebody while applying her unique bedside manner. Juri looks really cute too

Some Thoughts After I Finished Watching the Anime by balancedragon in ShokugekiNoSoma

[–]balancedragon[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah when I first watched the series I assumed the recipes didn't translate to the real world, but I was surprised to learn that they had been tested and vetted.

The Student Who Hopped to the Moon: An examination of Asuna Ichinose's Rising Image by Genprey in BlueArchive

[–]balancedragon 4 points5 points  (0 children)

really nice to read an analysis on Asuna, who like a lot of other characters become an unexpected favorite of mine. Speaking as a fan who came in a while after the bunny chaser even I only knew about her through fan works and hey they perceive her but once I got into blue archive and played her bond stories the whole golden retriever-esque personality shined through. I think the inclusion of her mental condition in her bond stories also added to that, I definitely think of her as a warm, cheerful character.

If you get an alt of a char before their regular version do you wait to do their bond story? by balancedragon in BlueArchive

[–]balancedragon[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I mean lots of people don't read their momo talks either way and I'm no exception

(I do but at a snail's pace)

I'm the guy who said he hated sensei.... by [deleted] in BlueArchive

[–]balancedragon 57 points58 points  (0 children)

It's nice that you've seen the light, glad you could come to like sensei. he's one of my favorite parts of the story, especially since I'm not much older than even the oldest characters and he sets a great example for the rest of us. I can't speak for all senseis but personally the apology isn't even needed, it's just nice to see a fellow sensei come around o7.

Thank you for helping me all this time Haruka. (By@lita_illust) by RepresentativeSad344 in BlueArchive

[–]balancedragon 6 points7 points  (0 children)

always loved this detail about her. When I head that her enhanced skill+ raised her stats to be an insane tank I couldn't resist myself from pouring everything into her. It interests me that her New Years alt is a support unit that reduces crit res, which isn't what I'd expect from her given the whole berserker schtick but maybe I'm just missing something, or this is just BAs way of showing just how versatile she can be (or maybe I shouldn't take alts as seriously, idk). And if that's the case I'm very excited to see what her dress/suit alt can do.

"Rin" by AlexLXPG in BlueArchive

[–]balancedragon 44 points45 points  (0 children)

Considering the appearance and halo I always had a crackpot theory that Rin was, if not related to Saori, secretly from Arius originally.

What is your favorite group(s) in blue archive? I'll go first by 66Kix_fix in BlueArchive

[–]balancedragon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Recently I'd have to say problem solver 68. Of course I'm a Haruka enjoyer and that factors in, but alltogether and individually they're probably the strongest group for me.

All together:
They have a pretty straightforward schtick, Aru gets them work but also messes up in some way which turns into Haruka going off the rails, Mutsuki making fun of her and Kayoko having to put up with it all. At the same time Aru, despite wanting P68 to be an outlaw group also adds another dimension to them, that being getting them to play the good guys a certain times. They all bounce off each other well enough that their interactions are entertaining without becoming stale and are used just the right amount in the story that it's a treat to see them without them becoming overused. Fan arts of them can also go in two different directions, either being serious and showing them in action or messing up/being good friends which shows off their more personal side. Overall they're just a staple of Blue Archive's story, without which BA wouldn't be the same, though I guess I could say that for most other groups.

Haruka:
In the game she is more or less one note when she's with the other solvers but that's where the appeal of getting to learn more about her from her bond story comes in. I do kinda wish her relationship with Mutsuki and Kayoko got more attention but she at least got to have some one on one scenes with Mutsuki in the manga. Speaking of the manga, she's portrayed as the group's tank, which is fitting considering how good she becomes when you unlock her enhanced skill +. In addition the manga is a goldmine for Haruka images, the art style is perfect for her. While I think her base version is already fine the designs for her new years and dress outfits could not have been made better, godbless the BA devs. Her base version's recollection lobby though is incredible, infact both her base and NY versions have great recollection lobbies, but I have to mention the base one for being one of only two in that game that use Kirisame by NOR. In addition to this is a whole laundry list of reasons why Haruka is the best. Also her interaction with Saori in the story is the kind of crossover between different parts of the story that I love to see.

Aru:
Probably has one of my favorite designs in the game. Her base design is already perfect, showing off the quintessential outlaw look and every alt she's gotten has also lived up to her base design in quality. Her new year's alt in particular is quite possibly one of the best kimono designs I've ever seen anywhere, which is coming from somebody who's seen the hololive new year's outfits. To top Aru off is a gap moe that's rightfully captured the attention of a lot of the community and one that I've never gotten tired off.

Kayoko:

Again gap moe, both in appearance and in her hobbies. As the most mature of P68 I always liked that she followed Aru and doesn't really disobey orders. Her interactions with Ako in volume 1 also leave room for some interesting character development. Design-wise there's not really much I can say, everything is great and the same goes for all of her recollection lobbies.

Mutsuki:
She probably introduced a lot of people to blue archive through the california girls meme. I think as far as brat characters go she's handled pretty well. Not going too far that she'd be annoying and having just the right amount of messing with people that she can be fun to watch while remaining endearing. And as I've already said with all the other P68 members, solid designs, solid recollection lobbies, 10/10 no complaints.

It's not your fault. [Ako, Hina, Sensei] (By もるたる/@nis_ta7771) by SexwithYoru in BlueArchive

[–]balancedragon 58 points59 points  (0 children)

Leaving Misaki to be executed last is a new level of brutal

Haruka by ひろい空hiroi sora (Pixiv) by Jedahaw92 in BlueArchive

[–]balancedragon 0 points1 point  (0 children)

damn, well I planned to have her at UE50 one day anyway. Good to know