We Were Deprived Of In-story Interactions Between Tooru Oikawa And Kuroo Tetsurou Because Furudate Wanted

No matter how bnha ends, I'm grateful that I became invested because it brought me joy, and it gifted me the euphoric experience of getting to know one of my favorite characters ever: Touya Todoroki, Dabi. I will always love him, and he will always have a special place in my heart. Nothing can change that or take that away from me. Shouto, too. The soba brothers are eternal to me.

It's so typical of me to be drawn to the mysterious, cold, brooding characters, haha. Shouto and Dabi immediately captured my attention when I first watched/read bnha with @fox-conscious. I took a break from following the series for a few years until November 2020, when I casually logged into Tumblr after months of not checking and saw chapter 290 Dabi's Dance leaks. It must have been fate. Suddenly, I was fully immersed in the manga again, excited that the obvious familial connection between my two favorites was officially confirmed. This reveal reignited my excitement and gave me something to focus on and look forward to during a challenging first semester in grad school, when I was on the cusp of realizing I needed professional help for my eating disorder.

To deal with the stress and have fun, I turned to reading and writing meta, and trying to make friends to share the experience with. That's the most important thing that has come from following this series... I've met so many incredible people who mean a lot to me:

@haleigh-sloth has become a really dear and close friend of mine. We met because of this manga and bonded over crepes, breakfast foods, pasta or ramen dinners, shopping at the mall, swimming in the river, walking her dogs, sleepovers, traveling, and road trips because of our shared love of the characters and story. We are basically the same person and constantly say the same things at the same time. Through the ups and downs of school, work, moving, and even now, we've always had each other's backs and shared countless moments of laughter and ugly cackling because we can't take shit seriously, ever. She's one of my best friends for life and I can't imagine NOT having her around!

@todomitoukei was one of the first friends I made in this fandom. I can always count on her to make the funniest jokes I've ever heard, especially during a completely serious conversation, and I'm astounded how smart, quick-witted, and talented she is. Truly an inspiration. I always look forward to seeing notifications that she messaged me because she brightens my day <3

I've had the great pleasure of meeting and hugging @hamliet TWICE! She has a generous heart and an inviting, calm aura. Her kindness and intelligence are remarkable. I genuinely enjoy discussing all sorts of topics with her, both silly and serious: life, hopes and dreams, fears and daily struggles, funny memes, reading and writing. I also love seeing her pet photos and can't wait to meet them in the future.

@transhawks is truly my most insane friend, and I say that lovingly and in the most ironic way because he's level-headed, creative, articulate, and self-aware. I'm always learning from him. I can talk to him for hours and never run out of things to say, and I always look forward to his insightful commentary about anything and everything.

And of course, I'm grateful for all the discord shenanigans with my friends: watching the anime together, voice calls, memes, sharing ideas, etc. @chocolate-biscuit who always pops into the chat with funny one-liners that leave me cackling for days when they flash in my head randomly, @bootlickerhawks who is the bestest horse person ever and I get excited to see on my dash, @helga-grinduil who is the saltiest and funniest person on this hellsite and also happens to make the best bnhaedits in this entire fandom, @jecook who is one of the sweetest people I've ever met and can't wait to read fix-it fics from, @mettywiththenotes who sends cute dog pictures and makes the most hilarious memes. Together we are all unhinged, and I love it. Despite living in different time zones, different counties, we've all create a fun space to cohabitate, and I think that's really cool and beautiful.

Hmm. Looks like the real treasure was the friends I made along the way, and the shared trauma of having our favorite characters mishandled by their creator was worth it. Can't wait to keep writing fics, making memes, and making new friends like @shortstrawberryshake because of this manga. And, I can't wait to keep loving Touya and Shouto Todoroki, of course <3

[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...

Shoutout to Haikyuu!! for showing the diversity of the autism spectrum!

We have :

Ushijima "I have no idea of what’s going on" Wakatoshi

Kageyama "I can’t read social cues & it pisses me off" Tobio

Sakusa "Don’t you dare touch me" Kiyoomi

Akaashi "I felt overwhelmed and anxious so I made some very specific lists to feel better" Keiji

Kozume "I was just looking for Pokémon Tier Lists online and ended up not eating, drinking or sleeping for the last 24 hours" Kenma

Kita "Do not disturb my routine under any circumstances" Shinsuke (+ bonus point for the "crackly" jacket)

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??

[INSTAGRAM] New Past Lavi illustration by Hoshino Katsura (21/03/2025)

Translation

"The child of calamity"

Period by Chemistry

Shiroiro kagerō by Aimer

Hoshino sensei has given two character songs that match Past Lavi. The first one is "Period" by Chemistry. For the ones who know, it's the fourth Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood OP!

The second is called Shiroiro Kagerō (the white evanescence) by Aimer. Aimer has also done many anime OP and Hoshino sensei has already said in the past one of her songs (Hana no uta) was the image song of Crowley and Eliade. I found a link with English lyrics on Google (sorry, too lazy to translate ahaha) so here it is !

It's very personal, but my interpretation (and it can be wrong !!!) is that the song is about Past Lavi and his dad (Bookman) ? Or Past Lavi and Past Allen, I'm not sure. I would tend to say Period is more about Past Allen while Shiroiro Kagero is more about his dad, but that's just my point of view.

Football, fame, and solitude

In the emotional and thematic climax of the Neo Egoist League, Blue Lock concludes this arc not with shouts of victory, but with silences that resonate louder than any ovation. Chapter 301 presents a delicate counterpoint between the noise of fame and the echo of intimacy, and in that contrast, its true heart emerges: the insatiable desire that drives the players, and what is sacrificed in its name.

Kaiser and Ness: ruin, redemption, and the spell of affection

The first act of the chapter is a fall. Kaiser, broken, faces utter loss: not only of victory, but of the image he held of himself. His rhetoric is filled with self-loathing “I’m trash,” “I’m destroyed” as if his worth depended solely on winning. In front of him, Ness takes a step that subverts everything we’ve seen from him up until now: no longer a servant, but an individual who chooses to stay. “I’m not going to do what you say anymore,” he says, and it’s perhaps his most powerful line in the entire manga.

What follows is not a promise of success, nor a motivational speech. Ness speaks of a spell, a cure for the broken Kaiser. He speaks of affection, of humanity. What he’s trying to revive is not the player, but the human being. Until this point, football seemed to consume everything. But Ness reminds us that bonds when not based on dependence or manipulation can also be a form of resistance.

The parade of new heroes: masks of glory

The scene shifts abruptly, transporting us to a bus with the 23 players, still unaware of where they’re headed. There are jokes, anxiety, trivialities. The confinement in the bus recalls the early episodes of Blue Lock, when everyone was merely a number. But now, they’re about to face the other extreme: the public showcase.

The parade in Roppongi is the consecration of this transformation. The world applauds them, shouts their names, fights for their images. It’s the highest point of visibility they’ve ever experienced. Yet, Isagi’s monologue blankets it all with a disturbing haze of clarity: “With a single shot, you can become a hero or plummet.”

That line encapsulates the essence of the new football: there is no safety net, only the vertigo of the result. The spectacle is glorious, yes, but it’s also cruel.

Compared to the early days of the manga (that closed space, without windows, filled with psychological bars this parade is an external triumph). But internally, the bars remain. They’ve changed form: now they’re made of expectations.

The silence of Nagi: a world without football

And then, just as the noise reaches its peak, Blue Lock chooses to be silent.

The chapter ends with Nagi. Alone. At home. Facing his cactus, Choki, the same one that accompanied him before entering Blue Lock. His monologue is neither a celebration, nor a reflection. It’s a statement: “Nothing has changed. We’ve simply returned to the routine, to an empty everyday life.”

This ending contrasts with the frenzy of the parade. While everyone bathes in applause, Nagi returns to square one. There are no teammates. No football. Only the void. His “I’m back” doesn’t sound like victory; it’s a surrender, an acceptance that, without that competitive fire, the world loses its colour. Nagi represents the player whose motivation was external—the duo with Reo and now that that bond is broken, he seems to wonder if there’s anything left to fight for.

The comparison couldn’t be starker: while Isagi sees the summit as an abyss he must climb, Nagi looks at his surroundings as a desert he doesn’t know how to fill. One finds meaning in the vertigo; the other drowns in the silence.

Conclusion

The chapter doesn’t close with a coronation, but with an open question. What is left of the human being after submitting to a system that turns them into a hero? Is that recognition worth it when bonds, certainties, and even purpose crumble off-screen?

Blue Lock has often shown us that egoism can be a tool for greatness. But in this chapter, it suggests that it can also be an unbearable burden if not balanced with humanity, with meaning, with something beyond the result.

Because when everything fades away, when there are no stadiums, no applause, no rivals... the only thing left is silence. And not everyone knows how to live in it.

By @isthepame

i am going to have to respectfully disagree with people who think nagireo break up abt to happen like what do u mean reo just scored (and we KNOW nagi already thinks he's the coolest) i know nagi's gay panic is about to whip him into shape

This is Andrey X, a Jewish Israeli pro-Palestine activist.

I don't know how to describe this video so I'll just write out what he's saying:

That is the beginning of an Israeli settlement. And this is the Palestinian village of Umm al-Hiran. Which is right now under a demolition order, in order to expand the settlement that way.

And we are not in the West Bank. We are in the Naqab desert. Every single Palestinian in that village has an Israeli passport. And yet they're being expelled to make way for a Jewish settlement.

And look at the hills around us. This place is empty. If Israel wants to build a settlement, they can do it anywhere. And yet they choose to do it here. Because the only purpose of that settlement is to expel Palestinians from their land.

This is happening all over the Naqab desert. Currently 14 Palestinian Bedouin communities are under demolition orders. And thousands of people are set to become homeless.

This is the most blatant illustration that Israel is an ethno-nationalist apartheid state. The Palestinians of Umm al-Hiran have the exact same citizenship as the settlers who are about to move into their land. And yet the Palestinians are being ethnically cleansed just because they belong to an ethno-cultural group that the Israeli state wants to suppress as much as possible.

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Hey everyone, I know it's going to be a busy day for a lot of people, but Google enrolled everyone over 18 into their AI program automatically.

If you have a google account, first go to gemini.google.com/extensions and turn everything off.

Then you need to go to myactivity.google.com/product/gemini and turn off all Gemini activity tracking. You do have to do them in that order to make sure it works.

Honestly, I'm not sure how long this will last, but this should keep Gemini off your projects for a bit.

I saw this over on bluesky and figured it would be good to spread on here. It only takes a few minutes to do.