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[EN Sum-up] Hoshino Katsura’s livestream about chapter 253.5 (part 2/3)

Hello everyone, As promised here is a sum-up (more of a transcription?) of the one hour livestream Hoshino Katsura did last Sunday, February 2nd, 2025. The livestream was about chapter 253.5, which came out on January 29th in the SQ. RISE WINTER 2025 issue. This sum-up is very long and will be divided into three parts:

Part 1 about the context around chapter 253.5 (How she came to draw it, etc.)

Part 2 about the art style of chapter 253.5

Part 3 about the story itself and some details which will allow us to theorize about what’s coming next

Obviously, this sum-up is full of spoilers, please be careful if you haven’t read chapter 253.5! This sum-up is not an exact transcription of what has been said: I skipped all the parts where she answered comments (except if it was relevant!) and I mixed some parts, because she has a tendency to repeat herself.

About chapter 253.5 art style (part 2/3)

Hoshino Katsura: “The drawing hell started after I moved to Kobe.

I wanted to give more paternity leaves to my assistant, but, at the same time, I needed him to work. Sadly, I could only give him one month of paternity leaves. We were both tired as hell, him because of his baby, me because of my house move, we were totally down, we worked super silently, just saying “Good morning” “The deadline is…”, when the new year came, we were too tired to wish each other a happy new year. When I asked him about his baby, he was like “the baby is crying all night long” I could only say how sorry I was for him. That’s how we started to draw the chapter.

(Someone asks if she drew about Lavi because he is a top seller character): Well, not exactly. I was totally free to draw whatever I wanted, and I found Lavi the easiest to draw. Actually, my editor was very happy when he heard I was going to draw Lavi. (Someone asks: do you draw the characters first? Or the backgrounds?) For me, inking the characters is my top priority, so first, the characters, and when I finish, I go to see what my assistants have done for the background, and I select what I want. I have also to check what my assistants are drawing.

1. Drawing nature

Do you know which background was the worst to draw this time? It’s not the city background, or those houses with weirds windows, no, not at all. It’s nature. It’s plants. It’s so hard to draw nature, it’s difficult to suggest something through nature, and besides, depending on the plants, they have different positions. We took a lot of time to decide what kind of image we wanted to suggest to the reader through the background. Also, nature is a complex thing: it has its own order without having a physical order. It’s hard to make it natural. It’s important, when you draw nature, to give a realistic touch. For instance, how much do you fill the spots? How large do you make them? This time, we drew weeds, so the question was: how high do you make them? (…)

In D. Gray-man, you often see the wheat field of the Campbell residence, right? It has been years since I have been drawing it, so I’m used now. Of course, at first I struggled, but now, it’s really easy. But the field in the extra-chapter, it’s my first time drawing it, so I had to start everything from zero. It was really hard. Besides, even if I say to my assistants “please draw like this” when it comes to plants and nature, it’s really hard for them to understand what I mean. Because every one of us has a different impression when it comes to nature.

So, in order to avoid creating a weird background, one of my assistants started to do some research on the internet about plants which grow in the area where Lavi is. Basically, I want to make the background as plausible as possible: in this country, there are those kinds of plants, in this season, this plant is growing, etc. I want him to draw something which matches with the universe of the story. While he was doing his research, I started to draw because I didn’t have much time (laughs) (…) I wanted the weeds to be at knee level, in order to make it impossible to distinguish someone from afar. And then, we were wondering if we should add trees, what season it was, what the weather was, etc.

2. Drawing the helix of life

(Someone comments on the fact that drawing the helix of life looks difficult): About this! Actually, I am the one drawing the helix, I am not letting my assistants drawing it. I feel bad saying this, sorry to destroy all your dreams but…it’s really easy. Like really REALLY easy. (…) I’m saying it’s easy to draw but, the thing is, I asked my assistant to make me a special digital brush to draw the helix of life. I was like “this is how I imagine the helix; do you think there would be any good brush?” and he made me one. That’s why now, I am able to draw the helix as I imagine. Anyways, I am the one in charge of making the drawings progressing, and my assistants are my helpers. (Someone says they remembered Bookman’s glass pen design when they saw the helix of life): Thank you for remembering. Yes, it’s exactly this. I forgot what I said back then, but yes (laughs)

3. Screen tones and oblique lines

By the way, when you read the extra chapter, did you feel there were more details than usual?

It’s because I had to draw more lines. Why? Well, I told you my assistant just became a father, right? I could not give him a proper paternity leave and honestly, having a newborn looks like hell, so, in order to avoid losing time on laying screen tones, I drew a lot of details with lines. For instance, take a look at the first page [which is actually the second, the cover doesn’t count] or the second page [same, it’s the third], you see Lavi stretching out his hand, right? Well, in normal conditions, I would have used screen tones to make shadows. But here, I created the shadow with oblique lines: this way, we would not have to use screen tones, and if at the end, we realized we would not have time to use screen tones, we could let it that way. So, I drew a lot of oblique lines. Until now, I used to draw shadows with screen tones, but here, everything is made with oblique lines. You can compare it with other chapters, you’ll realize that usually, everything is made with screen tones. (…) Please think that those oblique lines are a guarantee for me in case I don’t have time to use screen tones. But, since my assistant is far from being over with his newborn, I guess we’ll keep using this technique for the next chapters.

(Someone says “Is this the reason why you do not use screen tones anymore for Lavi’s hair?): Ah no, I stopped using screen tones for a long time when it comes to Lavi’s hair. I realized I would never finish in time, so I decided to stop using screen tones.

On the first and second pages [Second and third pages, actually], you can see the shadow I drew with oblique lines on Bookman’s face and, look at Past Lavi: I drew his silhouette with oblique lines as well. You might think it is faster to use screen tones but actually, it takes a lot of time during the final check to adjust them. Do you see the page where Past Lavi says “That’s right, keep breathing”? It’s the fourth page [It’s the fifth]. It’s the last page we drew, actually. Also, please look! Lavi is bleeding, right? The blood is drawn with oblique lines as well. I spent a whole month only drawing oblique lines: everything, his mouth, his hand, his stomach, I was always drawing oblique lines. Actually, we wanted to draw more panels with a background, but it was impossible for my assistant who didn’t have any sleep with the baby crying all night, so we had to suppress a whole page of backgrounds. But I think it doesn’t affect the reading experience.

4. Drawing smoke

Besides nature, you also have the smoke coming from an explosion. We discussed a lot about it with my assistants, we had difficulties exchanging our views on it. You know, dusty smoke coming out of a simple explosion, for instance a building, is very different from a smoke caused by gunpowder. In the chapter, the explosion is caused by gunpowder. At first, we drew white smoke, but greyish smoke gives more an impression of an explosion caused by gun powder. (Comment: The smoke appearing on the cover is whiter than the smoke in the chapter): Exactly, on the cover, it’s just almost like dust, it’s a different sort of smoke. In the chapter, it’s gunpowder smoke, it’s not the same texture. It looks like it’s bad for the body, right?

That’s it for part 2 on the art style, to be continued in the third and last part!

average gay interaction

coz there's no way it just ended here

here is a handful of palestinian family fundraisers id like to boost. (these are all verified fundraisers & ones i have supported in the past.)

Low on Funds:

Mohammed Family - Farhat Family - Yasin Family Albaz Family - Ayyad Family - Hussein Family - Tashmali Family - Abumousa Family - Mekawi Family - Dawoud Family - Almoghrabi family - Yousef family

Halfway to Goal:

Al-Deeb Family - Balousha Family - Mahmoud Family - Alanqar Family

Close to Goal:

Ayyad Family - Aldeeb Family - Saftawi Family - Shahwan Family - Shaqqoura Family - Ahel Family - Alhajjar Family - Shehab family - Al-Sharif Family - Ahmed Family - Jamous Family - Al-Talouli Family - Maliha Family

bro can you believe toboso yana really went out there and said 'hey let's turn the whole annoying clingy girl in love with genius boy thing into this story about this girl raised on the duty to be the protector of the underworld's guard dog and feeling the triple pressure of being sugar and spice and everything nice in line with social custom which ALSO is how she thinks her fiance wants to see her but ALSO she needs to be a master of the sword,,, which she naturally IS but she feels like she needs to hide just how much??? and then it always seems to her that she can't quite make him happy??? but actually he does care about her he just went through some horrible shit and doesn't know how to handle all things nice and maybe doesn't even believe he deserves it??? and she's stuck wondering what happened to this wonderful, sunshine boy she grew up with??'

and THEN yana STILL WASN'T DONE and was like 'oh also sike he's not actually her fiance he's his supposedly-dead twin brother who took his place cause he thought he couldn't come back as himself, the ill spare that nobody would be happy to see,,, and she finds out because his dead twin brother whom he's impersonating shows up and now she doesn't know what to think because maybe she wouldn't have been happy if she'd known it was him but also she didn't even care to see the truth that was staring her in the face the entire time and he literally told her he could never hate her at one point and maybe it's true both ways-'

and then she expected me to??? be normal about it??

OK SO CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE WHOLE EYES BEING IMPORTANT TO THE CHARACTERS THING. because this chapter had a whole lot of that. ohhh boy it had a lot!!!!! it did!!!!!

FIRSTLY. akutagawa. for a while, his eyes have been pitch-black. last chapter, they regained their light, as he remembered atsushi. and then they're pitch-black again in this chapter-- as the person who brought light to them, to akutagawa himself, is gone.

SECONDLY. dazai. as he tells akutagawa he can "certainly" give him a reason to live, at the same time, he himself looks like he has no reason to live, as if he's not living at all. his eyes are dark and dead. pitch-blacm just as akutagawa's were at the start of the manga, and this chapter, but with none of the determination or bite akutagawa has. just emptiness.

THIRDLY. (child) akutagawa. his eyes aren't empty, nor pitch-black at first. they're dark, with light within. he has not been shown light, nor has he been pushed into the shadows. they become purely fully of light when dazai claims he can give akutagawa a reason to live.

his eyes turn his signature pitch-black with his time in the mafia. he was not given a reason to live. he was given fear, pain, emptiness, and desensitivity to brutality. the chance of light and goodness in his eyes from when he was a child is erased by the port mafia-- by dazai.

his eyes become like dazai's dark, lifeless ones as dazai trains him. any chance at light, or goodness, or happiness, or true life is sapped from him and replaced with violence, abuse, the mafia, dazai, dazai, dazai!

atsushi is what brings akutagawa that light. and when atsushi is gone, the light is gone.

"the light in somebody's eyes" is a phrase meant to refer to someone's spark of life. their reason to live. akutagawa says that killing atsushi "became [his] sole motivation." but when atsushi dies, that takes the light out of his eyes. his reason to live vanishes along with atsushi.

atsushi is akutagawa's reason to live, isn't he?

24 Lives Are in Your Hands—Don’t Say You Can’t Help Because You Really Can!

Vetted and shared by @90-ghost: Link.

Verified and shared by @el-shab-hussein: Link

Listed as number 282 in "The Vetted Gaza Evacuation Fundraiser Spreadsheet" compiled by @el-shab-hussein and @nabulsi : Link

Listed on the Butterfly Effect Project, number 957: Link

Additionally, Al Jazeera News has documented apart of my family's case: Link

As winter approaches and my family is caught in the crossfire of genocide. The constant threat of airstrikes, freezing temperatures, hunger, and the lack of medicine have put my family in a dire situation. I am doing everything I can to protect 24 members of my family—including children who deserve the chance to survive this coming winter.

Despite the verification and support we’ve received, time is running out, and I cannot do this alone. Every donation, no matter how small, can provide the warmth, food, and vital medicine needed to keep my family alive.

Don’t say you can’t help—because you absolutely can! Each of us has something valuable to offer. Whether it’s your art, your friends, your network on Tumblr or beyond, or your unique writing skills. You have the power to make a difference. If the airstrikes, hunger, and lack of medicine don’t claim my family, this harsh winter might. But you can prevent that. yes you can by using your talents and your voice to save lives.

Remember, 24 lives are in your hands so pleease help!

gofundme.com

Donate to Help Falastin's Family Survive & Escape the Genocide in Gaza, organized by Falastin Iwais

¤Important note: Donation value: ** 15$ = 160 Swedish kr … Falastin Iwais needs your support for Help Falastin's Family Survive & Escape

Important note: ** 1050 SEK is just 100$ ** 10500 SEK is just 1000$

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[ryusae meta/analysis]

This post is a bit of a journey since it was a struggle getting my thoughts together lol, but please bear with me as I explain how I've noticed that Sae consistently allows Shidou past his iron-clad emotional barriers, as evidenced by how frequently we're shown Shidou managing to elicit reactions from him. Let's go!

When Sae is introduced to the U20 team, we get a close-up of his face and a full-body shot. His face is blank, devoid of any emotion, back rod-straight and hands glued to his pockets. He maintains this pose throughout the entirety of the meeting.

From his introductory speech, to his exchange with Sendou, and even after the whole scuffle between Aiku and Shidou, where Aiku ends up body slamming Shidou into the ground, Sae locked in the same pose, unbothered. Any words and actions from anyone fail to elicit the slightest change in his demeanor.

There are only two points where this changes and Sae allows a reaction.

A Guide to Sae's Reactions: Intentional Intimidation vs Genuine Exasperation

First is when he gives everyone a glimpse into his one desire as a player - becoming the best in the world. Through a terrifyingly cold expression, he conveys the vastness of the difference in their ambitions and why he deems everyone before him worthless in comparison. Although it didn't hurt him by any means, Sendou's remarks did illicit a reaction out of him. Therefore, questions about his calibre as a player does affect him. Not in a way that weakens or stirs any insecurity - Sae has a very strong sense of self as a player.

Sae's entire life revolves around football. Day in, day out, he spends time practising and analysing football data to hone his skills and advance in the path to becoming the best in the world. So naturally, he'd have something to say when he encounters someone not on his level ability-wise, clinging to titles like 'regular forward in the best team in Japan' to assert their dominance over on this subject.

On Sae's part, this reaction is intentional and purposeful. He intends to strike Sendou where it hurts and humiliate him before his fellow teammates to demonstrate the consequences for anyone that dares challenge him as a player. He deliberately utilises his facial expression here to drive the point home and intimidate Sendou into silence.

This is an act in-line with his characterisation as a icy cold genius unafraid of speaking his mind and calmy tearing apart those he deems unworthy.

The second time is when Shidou defends him.

It's an expression of mild exasperation and resignation at Shidou's antics. The little speech bubble is used to convey how he's totally speechless.

This is an indication that Shidou's actions and the intentions behind them were received by Sae. You don't react to something that doesn't affect you. Especially Sae, as evidenced by his characterisation as a whole and specifically, during this whole chapter.

Except, unlike with his first reaction, this one lacks intentionality. Sae's not trying to convey any message, it's purely his raw reaction.

Let's take a moment to look at Shidou's reasoning behind attacking Sendou's and break it into two pieces:

1) He has a very strong sense of self as a person and a player, and that extends to his expectations of his fellow players. We see this in his conflict with Kunigami as well, where he severely dislikes Kunigami's playstyle and philosophy to the point of taking immense pride and glee in eliminating him during the second selection. Sendou also simply doesn't fit the bill lol (for the same reasons Sae listed earlier) so he has zero respect for him and therefore has no problem enacting his own personalised form of justice, for the crime of being an uninspiring player hung up on titles rather than actual ability, by slamming his head into a table LMAO

2) At this point, Shidou has never seen Sae play. However, if Sae is someone predominantly characterised by a calm, cool, and logical playstyle, then Shidou is a master of instinct. He doesn't need to physically observe someone to get a feel for their essence as a player; to sense their explosive potential.

Shidou could feel what kind of player he was the moment they met, felt the aura radiating off him. Hence the huge grin. This scene started with him raging at Ego and initially being utterly unimpressed and irritated at Sae's presence, only for a few words from Sae to completely change his mind.

He gained immediate respect for Sae here and that's why he couldn't let Sendou's remarks slide. Just as he won't tolerate mediocrity, he won't allow insolence against someone he deems is a worthwhile player. He can't stand that Sendou would dare challenge Sae, so he's the only one in the entire room to jump to his defence.

[NOTE: To be clear, I'm not expecting anyone else to do this after Sae said all that stuff to them LMAO this is more about what's transpiring between ryusae here]

If you really think about it, it's quite sweet lol

Sae walked into a room full of people who are already teammates and therefore have each other's backs and intentionally created a storm by insulting everyone and humiliating their ace. He never expects any defense on his behalf. He's this solitary genius, who does everything by himself and for himself.

Yet here he is, being faced with this guy, who's barely an acquaintance, offering such a passionate defence. Something I doubt he's received from someone in a long time.

Based on the clues we've gotten thus far regarding his time in Spain, which was the turning point in his career, attitude towards football as a whole, and immeasurably damaged his close relationship with his brother - Sae has evidently been on the receiving end of casual cruelty at the hands of his peers there. Which undoubtedly shaped the completely closed-off, icy cold, and cruel persona he's now embraced.

He's fashioned himself an immpenetrable barrier against any and all attempts at connection from others. The degradation of his bond with Rin being a prime example. To the point where Kaneshiro revealed in an interview/fan event that he doesn't even consider their fight, the one that changed Rin's life, to be a fight at all. He's evidently emotionally stunted. Trauma will lead to the development of such concrete, even destructive, emotional defense mechanisms.

We get a small glimpse at the kind of people Sae's had to deal from Luna's introduction. Where he cruelly ridicules the Japanese players with a cheery smile on his face and the following panels show how badly received it was by the Blue Lock players. To the point where Loki has to step in and apologise on his behalf.

So it can be inferred that Sae has not been in the company of camraderie for a very long time. Therefore, this moment initiated by Shidou holds quiet but clear significance to him.

A reaction breaking through his otherwise continuous blank demeanor, signifies that he definitely registered what Shidou was doing, why he was doing it, and his subsequent speechlessness shows it resonated with him but he doesn't know how to process it. So he resorts to pulling a face.

Sae Regularly Allows Shidou Through His Defenses

In fact, Shidou is shown to affect him regularly. He frequently manages to drive emotions out of Sae. For example during his big bang drive, we see Sae express genuine awe.

When Shidou jumps on his back and captures him in a hug (something Sae intentionally allows, btw!!) and Sae can feel Shidou's...excitement, we see him break his usual impassivity to express disgust. Despite this being a negative reaction, Sae compensates by still promising his touch as long as the conditions of scoring a hattrick are met. So his initial repulsion appears to be quite shallow and momentary, more of a knee-jerk reaction (understandably lol) than a total rejection.

Notice the zero pushback on Shidou's counter offer of scoring ten more goals to move in with him too. These subtleties on Sae's end, formed by his deliberate lack of denial to Shidou's direct romantic and/or sexual offers, are demonstration of how he's allowing space for and accepting Shidou's feelings. The same Sae who slapped his other teammate's hands away and denied Aiku's handshake, is shown permitting Shidou's physical and verbal attempts at connection and reciprocating in full.

Throughout their brief but intense union, both on and off the pitch, Sae continuously allows Shidou to cross his tightly maintained barriers, to occupy spaces where he's actively and cruelly denied others access to.

I never made this link prior to making this post, but Shidou so emphatically and boldly jumping to his defence, during their second time ever meeting, definitely has something to do with why Sae is willing to do that. On top of genuinely considering Shidou a worthy striker, and as I've outlined in a previous post (here), truly liking and feeling comfortable him. Sae so clearly has a soft spot for him :')