Some Of My Favorite Words And Phrases To Describe A Character In Pain

What are your favourite tropes? Not just relationship, but character tropes, plot tropes? I love how you add them in your s/o posts!

Oh I love this question! I have so many! I will make an official post about tropes in the future, but right now I'll focus on my favourites! (thank you for this question omg)

𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐂𝐚𝐭 𝐱 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫

I love this pairing because it's basically opposites attract, yin and yang, sun and moon. Two completely different people who can come together, despite their differences and decide that they love the energy of the other.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐃𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐃𝐮𝐨

When two characters share one brain cell and cause absolute chaos wherever they go. It's exciting and funny and entertaining.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐳 & 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐬

I love how devoted Gomez is to Morticia. He would do anything for her, anything at all. And that's why this has become a trope - so many books written by women now have the main male love interest act in similar ways to Gomez - absolute devotion.

𝐃𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐱 𝐎𝐡 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐈 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐌𝐲 𝐃𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐬

When it's only one person who is a chaotic dumbass and the other is the voice of reason. Even when the dumbass character gets into the most trouble, their lover will rescue them no matter what.

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨 (morally grey)

I know this is a really popular choice, but there's something about a character who goes against the grain, who rebels, but deep down has a good heart.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐞

Pretty straight forward, double points if character is really innocent looking and seems like everything scares them.

𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬/𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲-𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬

We love a woman who knows what she believes in. Who cares about something so much that she is ready to risk it all to rebel.

𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝, 𝐕𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐄𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐍𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭

Can be romantic, or just platonic. It also kinda ties in with the found family trope. I love the thought of two people caring so fiercely about the other that if anything happened they would go crazy.

𝐆𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐲 𝐎𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐮𝐲 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐲

I mean ... this is an easy one to love. But also it's really popular now. Which is completely fine with me. I guess it's my daddy issues coming into play?

𝑷𝒍𝒐𝒕 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔:

𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬

I know! Another overdone trope, but god do I love it. The angst, the build-up, but knowing that they'll grow to love each other... just hits me in the best way. However, it has to be done right.

𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬

I know some people like the whole, 'I love you because I choose to', but there's something about soulmates that just ... AH .... tickles the right spots. It's like validation for their love.

𝐓𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐀 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠

Okay so... the only time I've seen this be done is in Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End. It's during a fight scene and Will calls out to Barbossa to marry Elizabeth and him. It's one of my favourite scenes ever.

“I have a deeply hidden and inarticulate desire for something beyond the daily life.”

— Virginia Woolf

Mohammed El-Kurd, from Rifqa

“Love never dies of a natural death. It dies because we don’t know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness, errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds. It dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishings, but never of a natural death.”

— Anais Nin

Dazai Osamu and the Dark Era - Light Novel vs Anime Discrepancies

As enjoyable as the anime adaptation may be, I urge everyone to read the light novel itself!! The anime glossed over many, many important scenes which are plenty enjoyable, but one thing I feel the novel captures a lot better are Oda’s thoughts, which definitely help you understand his (slightly odd) way of thinking. Here’s just a few of the many scenes you’d have missed out on if you only watch the anime:

Prologue + Chapter 1

How Dazai injured himself on tofu.

Dazai’s cooking and his miraculous soups.

Oda’s extremely detailed breakfast routine.

Dazai’s interaction with Hirotsu.

Dazai making an order for coffee and his highly sweet tooth.

The shooter was around three meters away from Dazai, compared to the anime which was near point blank (even I could have shot Dazai at that distance without training, please.) Also, Odasaku’s thoughts about Dazai’s expression. In comparison, he’s a lot more vocal about asking Dazai to stop talking after having his hand forced.

Chapter 2

The fight with the kids.

Odasaku’s vacuum cleaner passage about Dazai. Well worth the read.

Ango commenting that Dazai and Oda stink of rotten tsukudani.

Chapter 3

At one point, Akutagawa had Gide tied up. Also, he punched him.

Oda and Gide’s first meeting, in which Oda describes Gide as handsome.

Gide has grey eyes.

Dazai proposes to arrange Gide and Odasaku’s wedding.

Odasaku’s inner thoughts when the Buraiha trio break up are also well worth a read.

Chapter 4

The chase scene when Odasaku goes for the orphans. This was moved to episode 15, but keeping this would have been more dramatic imo.

The utter resignation in Odasaku’s thoughts are much, much grimmer in the novel. Also, Odasaku picks up smoking again.

His fight with the Mimic soldiers was cut short. Just a little, though.

Odasaku smiles when he fights Gide.

Their pose is described as miraculous.

The singularity of abilities is better explained in the novel.

Odasaku’s past is slightly less glossed over/implied.

Gide tells Odasaku to say hello to the children for him.

The cigarettes. Also, Odasaku’s last words were about his true love, curry rice.

Epilogue

Only one scene was animated. Everything else is pretty important imo.

Here are some examples of "show, don't tell" in action:

Telling: Sarah was very angry.

Showing: Sarah's face turned red, her fists clenched, and she slammed the door shut.

//////

Telling: The room was messy.

Showing: Clothes were strewn across the floor, books were piled haphazardly on the desk, and dirty dishes filled the sink.

//////

Telling: John was scared of heights.

Showing: John's palms grew sweaty, his heart raced, and he clung tightly to the railing as he looked down from the rooftop.

//////

Telling: The food tasted delicious.

Showing: The flavors exploded on her tongue, a medley of sweet, tangy, and savory notes danced in her mouth, leaving her craving more.

//////

Telling: Emma was sad about the breakup.

Showing: Emma's eyes welled up with tears, her shoulders slumped, and she spent hours curled up in bed, replaying their last conversation in her mind.

//////

Telling: It was a beautiful sunset.

Showing: The sky transformed into a canvas of vibrant hues—pinks, oranges, and purples blending together in a breathtaking display, casting a warm glow across the horizon.

//////

Telling: The car was old and unreliable.

Showing: The engine coughed and sputtered, emitting puffs of smoke. Rust covered the body, and the faded paint revealed years of wear and tear.

//////

Telling: The meeting was tense.

Showing: The participants leaned forward in their seats, their brows furrowed, and their voices became sharp and clipped as they argued back and forth.

//////

Telling: He was a kind person.

Showing: He often went out of his way to help others, offering a comforting smile and lending a listening ear whenever someone needed support.

//////

Telling: The forest was eerie at night.

Showing: Shadows danced among the trees, the wind whispered through the branches, and the distant hooting of an owl sent shivers down her spine.

get out of a depressive rut and get into a depressive slut

opening your writing doc and immediately scrolling back 3 pages like "alright what the fuck is this story about again?"

Wild.

Satoru: is the strongest sorcerer but can’t hurt Suguru no matter what he’s become

Suguru: knows he’s Satoru’s only weakness but doesn’t use that against Satoru, never raises a hand against him even when he’s dying

Satoru: so guilt ridden for killing Suguru because it’s the last thing he ever wanted to do so he doesn’t dispose of his body the way he should have, causes Kenjaku to overtake Suguru’s body

Kenjaku: inherits Suguru’s memories and understands the depth of the bond between Suguru and Satoru, becoming aware that Suguru is the only weakness Satoru has, launches the Shibuya Prison Realm sealing plan

Satoru: kills thousands of transfigured humans in almost 300 seconds, kills Hanami with minimal effort, uses a Domain Expansion in attempt to exorcize the curses he’s fighting

Kenjaku: uses Suguru’s voice and face to call out to Satoru

Satoru: stops dead in his tracks, the fight leaves his body, happiness fills him for the split second he thinks Suguru is alive in front of him

Kenjaku: successfully traps him and renders him incapable of using his technique

Satoru: realizes that the man in front of him is not really Suguru because Suguru would never have actually hurt him and that’s why his soul knows it isn’t him despite his Six Eyes telling him it’s his cursed energy, calls out to Suguru and tells him to wake up

Suguru: is dead and yet at the sound of Satoru’s voice tries his damnedest to kill Kenjaku with the control he has over his arm

Kenjaku: is amused because no one has ever tried to fight back from beyond the grave before, concludes that the soul is part of the body, and the body is part of the soul

So much language involving souls and their significance. Satoru’s soul recognized the absence of Suguru’s, yet somehow believed he was still there enough to call out to him, and Suguru’s soul answered in spite of all logic.

I really hope things work out differently in the manga so that we can get a fitting culmination to the way things were built up here, Suguru couldn’t have just come back for a split second for nothing. I’m holding out hope.