There's Got To Be Some Variety. So Here You Go, Rina.

“for soccer” LMFAO

Yuulma… that is all 🥺

white people go like “is anyone going to redesign this nonhuman evil character as a poc?” and not wait for an answer

[EN Sum-up]Hoshino Katsura's livestream about chapter 253.5 (part 1/3)

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.

The context around chapter 253.5: from hiatus to an extra-chapter

Hoshino Katsura: “D. Gray-man was supposed to be in hiatus on this RISE issue, so first, I'd like to talk a bit about this.

It was because I was meant to be on hiatus I was able to draw 253.5 night in way, you know… at first, I was supposed to be on hiatus, not working at all, I was supposed to have received some vacations. I have been asking for a hiatus for quite a time now, since I was about to move [to Kobe] and I knew exactly when it would happen. Also, it has nothing to do with me moving to Kobe, but my chief assistant, the one who has been with me for years, a veteran assistant, has become a father! It's his first child so I wanted to give him vacations as well. That's why I was asking for a hiatus.

The authorization didn't come right away, but because I was moving, I got the authorization to go on hiatus for the winter issue. I was relieved to hear it.

HOWEVER, here come the problems. A month after I received the authorization, so around mid-November, I guess around the 15-17th, I was meeting my editor and he looked like he had something very difficult to ask me…He told me: "I know you are on hiatus" and I responded happily "yes, I know." He explained me D. Gray-man was one of the top sellers of RISE, and they needed to put something in RISE, otherwise the sells would drop. First, we were talking about a special benefit, like an exclusive illustration [which became the B5 clear file we had]. Only with that, I was already stressed: it was mid-November, I had other things to do. You know there is a pop-up in February right? Well, I was drawing the illustration for the pop-up shop, the one where Allen &co have cat ears, because the deadline was for the beginning of December. And, actually, I had another work with an exclusive illustration to draw. (!)

As you can see, I already had a pretty tight schedule until my house move to Kobe in mid-December. When I heard about the clear file, I was like "seriously?" I started to panic, but when I saw my poor editor, I accepted, I understood it was a sort of condition in order to be on hiatus.

And then, later, my editor told me: “You know, if we only add a special present in the magazine, I feel the DGM fans would be a bit sad [because there is no chapter]”. Basically, it would mean we would make the fans buy the magazine for the special clear file EVEN THOUGH there is no chapter. So, my editor asked for a small, short extra-chapter. When I first heard about it, I was determined to draw something VERY short, like 5 pages. I told him: "Alright, but I won't be able to draw as well as usual, so it might be a bit rough and messy. And I’ll be the one choosing the page number".

To sum up, I had to finish the storyboard for the beginning of December, the illustration for the clear file, the illustration for the pop-up store AND another illustration for something else. Everything had to be finished by mid-December. Also, I had to supervise and check futur D. Gray-man merch. Thar’s why I was really wondering: “would I be able to do everything while trying to move?”. I was really stressed. Eventually, I was not able to finish my preparations for my moving and I spent my December month calling my editor to complain. That’s how the extra chapter was born.

I hadn’t decided what I wanted to draw because, you know, it came so suddenly. But, from the way the story is currently moving, I was convinced I should draw something related to the Bookman clan. When it comes to the Bookman clan’s anecdotes, well, there are plenty of them: stories I wasn’t able to draw in the main story, small anecdotes, etc. Besides, I didn’t have much time to finish the story board. So, what I first thought would be a five pages small bonus chapter became suddenly an eleven pages chapter. I thought it would be a story I could draw without putting too much effort into the art, but even though it’s an extra-chapter, it’s an important story, so I ended up putting a lot of effort in the drawings. In a way, I paved my way to my own death. (…). Honestly, it was hell. It took me so much time, and I spent my time complaining to my editor, but when I think about it, I’m satisfied with this extra chapter.

(A comment says the bonus chapter actually looks like a normal chapter from the main plot): “Well, it’s true, but you know, I would probably not have drawn that story if I had to concentrate on the main plot. The point of view changes drastically in this chapter”.

Eventually, I ended up house moving to Kobe while screaming internally “I won’t make it in time”, and then, I received all my furniture. I finished moving super speedily and I tried to create my workspace at home as fast as possible in order to start the chapter. It was around the end of December.”

To be continued in part 2 about the artstyle of chapter 253.5...

So this was a pre-planned (and likely paid for by the Kremlin) show: to invite Zelenskyy, scold him like a kindergartener in front of the press, present him with an unreasonable "deal" - an ultimatum - knowing full well he will refuse it (as anyone in this position would). And then tell the world: "Look, our mighty Orange King could've ended this horrible war in a day, but this poorly-dressed, warmongering, ungrateful twat just doesn't want peace! It's not our fault, we did what we could!"

The show is so cheap, so transparent, yet still effective for so many brainless people.

laila dermott you mean so much to me. she’s lebanese. she’s a lebanese LESBIAN whose storyline isn’t dictated by the homophobia in arab culture (and as a queer arab, that is SO refreshing). she speaks arabic with her mother. she buys sex toys for her friends. she’s a great girlfriend to cat. she’s protective of the people she loves. she calls her friends out when they don’t take care of themselves. she loves dogs. she’s an amazing goalie. she sees jeremy as her brother. she brushes people’s hair. she lets jean braid her hair. all she wants is a home of her own. i love her so much.

god bless doechii and chappell roan for hating men as public as they are. literally we've needed this for years

What ppl don’t understand about Kabru (of Utaya) is that his natural state is not bitter hater. That’s Chilchuck. Kabru is only a bitter hater around Laios bc Laios has a unique talent for pissing other autistic ppl off. Kabru’s natural state is being a weird overly talkative charismatic freak who’s way too much in everyone’s business. He’s like a cheery yoga mom on 800mg of caffeine and no sleep.

Why did no one tell me Monster was hilarious?