Miss Conch Shell

After mentioning the tumor he had, Kinger says that Scratch was trying to make something, something he can't remember.

I'm guessing that in the real world Scratch was facing the horrors of cancer and tried to develop some way to store his consciousness, so that he'd be able to live on, even if only digitally.

While it seems like he accomplished his goal with the headset that trapped everyone in the cirus, it clearly didn't go to plan. Unfortunately, the reality of a digitalized existence, torn away from everything you've ever known with no escape, has proved to be too much for a human mind to handle.

Even someone who was probably prepared for the idea of this, like Scratch, eventually abstracted. Though this short scene does make me curious. I believe Scratch is the dog, and here he's shown looking around, confused and arguing with Caine.

I wonder if he either A) Wasn't prepared to be brought into the circus at this time, B) Wasn't planning on bringing others with him, as they all seem to have come in at once, or C) Wasn't expecting it to look like this - clearly the cirus was built by Caine, and I doubt Scratch wanted have his mind forever preserved in a cartoony cirus in the form of an anthropomorphic dog who can't even remember his own name. Or it might be some combination of all three.

There’s too much rattling around in my brain right now for any thoughts more complex than “What the fuck, what the fuck???” - in a mostly positive way, lol. The credits song was soo pretty! And the new Smilk designs were very cool!

I need to go to sleep now, but I’m excited to wake up and read everyone’s screaming!!

She's dressed to match Valentino! Her hat mimics his antenna/feathers, and her dress has the same heart motif as his coat!

And unlike Angel, who's been forced into the Vee's blue and red color scheme, neither Velvette or Valentino have any of Vox's blue on them! It's a neat way to show their separation from Vox and solidarity with each other!

I found Dan and Phil later than most, a good bit after the height of the Phan shipping. I loved watching them game together, but never dwelled too much on their relationship. I figured if they were together, great for them, but otherwise, it wasn't really my business.

A few years later, when Dan came out, I was in a period of my life where I was struggling to figure out my own sexuality. I remember crying as I watched him speak earnestly about his struggles. I was so proud of him and wanted to feel that way myself one day.

Now, six years later, decidedly queer, I've found myself crying just reading their words to each other. I haven't watched anything Dan and Phil-related in so long, but seeing them finally comfortable to openly share love for each other makes me so happy! I sincerely hope that one day I can find someone who complements and supports me like they do each other. And seeing them together makes me feel like it's actually possible!

I saw this panel and literally screamed! It's midnight, my poor neighbors must hate me!

Before this I was like "oh, kunikida's note, that's so neat, did he leave some pieces behind before being bubbled?"

And then we get this!!!! This beautiful image! The squad is back!!! I don't even know how, I haven't read any further yet, I just needed to squeal into the void for a minute!

How long were they together? What did Rumi's dad do after her mom passed? Is he still around? Or was he killed by Gwi-Ma or another demon hunter because of their relationship? What were they like together? Were they constantly at each other's throats? Sappy little lovebirds? Was Rumi's mom just into that kinda thing? (I've seen plenty of people on tumblr who are!) Was their relationship similar to Rumi and Jinu's?

While all those questions are fun, what intrigues me most is how they met. It was probably a fight, but you never know! It's just that without a secret like Rumi's it's hard to imagine how they would initially overcome their animosity and connect with each other. Maybe, after finding themselves in a deadlock, realising that neither could beat the other in all-out combat, Rumi's mom proposed another method to determine who was best: karaoke! And from there, they continued to challenge each other to a variety of silly activities, these "battles" slowly just becoming dates until they finally had to admit their feelings.

Honestly, though, the funniest version to me is Rumi's dad being sent out as a lacky to fight these hunters and immediately falling head over heels for this pretty, strong lady about to kick his head in. And it's completely understandable, this lady's a cutie!

The music is wonderful, the characters are great, and the animation! Oh, the animation! It's so pretty, and visually distinct! The characters are so expressive, I love all the fine details and glitter and the movement! Everything feels so stylized and intentional, and I adore that! It's such a breath of fresh air! Occasionally, the framerate gave it a sorta stop-motion feel, and it was so fun to watch! And I was really happy to find that I enjoyed all the characters so much! (Including these little guys!)

First off, Finny defending Ciel from Sebastian was adorable, and so sweet after the time he's spent caring for him this season! And Sebastian's impassive and cold responses, along with the lack of music, really clearly establish to the viewer that, oh, Sebastian is no longer just here to play butler.

Next, I loved watching Sebastian's demonic-ness seeping out as he addressed Ciel! The imagery was stunning, and I love the use of what looks like 3D elements to emphasize his otherworldliness! Also, the lighting helped to set the scene perfectly, and was genuinely stunning.

Like, god, this shot is gorgeous and horrifying! Seriously, props to everyone who worked on this!

After Sebastian declares he's going to consume this little deal-breaker, we head into Ciel's mindscape, which is also so well-executed! This bit was sweet, I have no notes, just loved to see it. This boy needs more hugs.

I particularly love this image of Ciel, surrounded by every major influence in his life while he sits in his cage, the same as he was all those years ago. Even if it's not really subtly imagery, it's still very impactful to see this poor boy so haunted. You clearly understand why he's reached this point of mental entrapment, and why leaving to face the real world would be terrifying, who wouldn't feel the same after experiencing all he's gone through?

And yet, when faced with the possibility of giving up his revenge and just letting himself succumb and be free of this horrible, traumatizing life, he finds himself admitting what drove him all those years ago. Not a desire for forgiveness or power or even revenge for his loved ones. No, little Lord Phantomhive chose to live for himself. His personal desire for revenge is what brought Sebastian to him, and it is what gives him the strength to keep on living now. I loved seeing him deny each person in turn, until all that's left was himself, desperately reaching towards his own salvation, the same cursed being that will one day take his soul. But today is not that day.

This image here, this was beautiful. I don't have much else to say aside from that the soft, but powerfully emotional music perfectly fit the animation.

And then seeing him run towards Sebastian and his present, leaving his past behind and regaining bits of himself with each person he lets fade, was just done so well.

This was one of my favorite manga panels, so seeing it animated was just so, so cool.

Wrapping things up, loved watching Ciel sassily combat Sebastian, and Sebastian's delivery of the 90% line. While I am sure this whole thing was in part a purposeful play to snap Ciel out of his trauma, I very much believe it when he says that he was soooo ready to eat this kid (the man literally can not lie). Like, I get it, after waiting several years for a meal, I'd also be tempted to cave before it was fully cooked.

Last, but not least, I loved Ciel apologizing to his staff and seeing their reactions! Even Sebastian was shocked to hear those words out of Ciel's mouth! But it really goes to show how CIel genuinely has grown to care for these people, and how they care for him in turn. It's just a sweet moment, which I'm sure will make everything hurt all the more when this series inevitably reaches its promised painful conclusion!

While I have a sorta morbid fascination with horror and have read a few comics in the genre before, I am unfortunately a very anxious person, which meant I was peeking around the corner and jumping at every noise in the house the entire time I was reading it. The first few hours weren't too bad, as I was reading in the daytime, but as it got darker, I got a lot jumpier (both the sun and the comic seemed to have coordinated to make things spookier for me). I even went so far as to migrate to my sister's room, where I now had a small child who would protect me from the creepy goop. Said small child managed to get me to audibly gasp at the sound of a rubber chicken, so I think that says plenty about how well this comic can set you on edge! And the sense of relief when the story finally ended was so palpable, I could feel the tension and anticipation slowly start to leave my bones. Unfortunately, before I could fully recover, I was subsequently kicked out of my sister's room and sent to brave the dark depths of the house on my own. I sit writing this bundled in a blanket on my bed with my lamp on and the door open, and I think it's gonna stay that way for the rest of the night.

Now that I've bared my childish fear of the dark, onto all the praise this comic deserves! The art is beautiful and haunting, with the limited color palette really enhancing the tone, and making those moments where things got bright hit all the harder. Punko had me panicking at just the sight of purple text, which is honestly so impressive. And the horrors, oh the horrors! The monster designs are so creepy, and the worst ones we never even see in full, and yet they stick out so much more! Even deer are no longer safe for me, I don't I'll be able to look one in the eyes any time soon without it sending a shiver down my spine!

The characters are also amazing. I didn't think I would love them nearly as much as Cinderella Boy's cast, but amidst the horror, Punko found plenty of time to establish everyone's personalities and to endear us to each character as we watched them grow close to each other throughout the story. Frankie and Felix were awesome buddies, and I loved learning about Jeremy and his history! I was so excited when I realized like halfway through that I recognized Frankie's design from some Cinderella Boy chapters! I immediately paused my Stagtown marathon to reread those chapters with fresh eyes, and it was so much more fun knowing who these people were and getting to see them escape from Stagtown for a bit!

As for the story, I loved the little segmented encounters that slowly built up into a grand plot, which constantly kept the characters and I on our toes. The slow drip of information about the town and the entities within it was amazing. There was a constant fear of what was to come, with some panels so spooky I had to pause my scrolling in order to mentally prepare myself. And yet, even with the fear, the mystery was so fascinating I just couldn't stop, giving me the courage to hit that Next Chapter button each time.

Also, Deer Mom's segments were always hilarious, and knowing what Punko went through during the creation of this comic, it was so nice to get to see her rest at the end of it all! She definitely deserved it for creating such a beautiful, horrifying tale.