I tried to be normal once and it was boring

Bakugo & Midoriya 

(2/2) forest of giant trees but even in the scene at Eren’s bedside or after Armin’s first kill, Levi improves upon his interactions and puts others more at ease by making himself better understood. He hears her and she helps him.

I also noticed that Levi always corrects himself when Mikasa calls him out/misunderstands him, like in these scenes:

Levi isn’t very good at expressing himself, and even Hanji is shown “translating” his words sometimes. But when it comes to Mikasa he always elaborates more so she understands where he’s coming from, which means her presence is actually helping him learn to communicate better. Shipping aside, I think their relationship is super healthy and beneficial because they help each other come out of their comfort zones. Levi is learning to speak his mind more thanks to her, and Mikasa is slowly learning to accept and trust people outside her close niche of friends by allowing Levi into her life. 

I like that you brought up how Mikasa’s pain isn’t bluntly dealt with on-screen. Mikasa is so unappreciated it’s not even funny. Her peers respect her, but they don’t appreciate her or make time for her as much as they ought to.

From the very beginning, Mikasa never quite fit in:

Mikasa looks like a lonely girl in a school cafeteria that wishes she could be included with the other girls. This scene happened right Eren walked out on her when she was right in the middle of a conversation. 

Everyone in the squad has someone they could really rely on, but Mikasa hadn’t gained a single new friend since joining the military.

Mikasa is such talented girl, but she’s not vain and over confident, just like Levi. Deep down, I think Mikasa is just extremely lonely and that’s why she comes across as “clingy” because she actually wants someone who treats her the way she treats the one she cares for. And you know what? She deserves to have someone looking out for her. She’s always looking out for everyone but herself, yet she never gets rewarded for her selflessness.

But ever since her and Levi appeared in more scenes together, I can’t help but to feel ecstatic because I feel like she FINALLY found someone who she could relate to, someone who help her come out of her shell, someone could appreciate her and give her the respect she deserves.

Levi isn’t intimidated by her abnormal strength because he’s just as abnormal strong as her. Mikasa isn’t very good at expressing herself, and this is probably why she never made new friends, but Levi isn’t either so they’re definitely on the same social level with each other.

I love Mikasa and I just want her to have SOMEONE who has her back for a change. I want her to have someone who actually takes her seriously and doesn’t dismiss her feelings (even as wild as they may be, like when she insisted Eren was alive after being defeated by Annie). I want her to have someone she can relate to, someone of equal strength she can fight alongside with and protect her, someone who cares about the things she cares about–and the only person who fits this criteria is Levi.  

sweet! :D I’m glad you liked that. 

16. Do you have structured ideas of how your story is supposed to go, or make it up as you write?

A little bit of both actually. Basically this is what I do. 

I have a couple of journals. I have a regular black ringed journal and one known as a project list journal that you can find in an office/crafts store. it’s actually really neat. I uses these when I’m not close to a computer or when I can’t stand using the notes in my iphone. 

On the journals, I go back and forth between scribbling down ideas, most of the time illegible shorthand script that I’ll be able to decipher later on. It’s mostly questions, suggestions, a bunch of arrows that point to several things and on occasion big ass question marks. 

I also have an app on both my computer and phone known as Evernote. Evernote is actually a software I highly recommend to writers who are planning on monetizing their craft since Microsoft Word doesn’t always follow the formatting professional clients approve of (of course I haven’t encountered that issues yet) and on another point, the software allows for being able to write quick notes, inserting documents and pictures and such, for each project. There are other programs available, but Evernote (like Onedrive) is essential to my work. Onedrive is also a huge help. I could go on, but it’ll take us in another direction. 

So basically, once I’ve got an idea of where I want to go, I get my ass on to a blank page word document (turn the color of the page a soft green or blue so that I don’t strain my eyes) and get writing. 

Sometimes, I write according to plan, other times, whenever I feel like a certain idea doesn’t quite make it in, I just allow my mind to follow the track of the story itself. And in some special cases, the story just takes off and I’m sitting there writing for hours and can end up in a completely different place than where I intended. Sometimes it can be a good thing, sometimes it can get frustrating. 

For example, in Nimbus (and I’ve mentioned this before) but the relationship between Eren and Li was meant to be distant and untouching–ergo, neither of them were supposed to ever get anywhere. When suddenly, the story decided I should have them do the do and complicate the relationship between Connie and Li. I had a thought that I should scrap it since I hadn’t planned for it at all, but I liked it too much for it to be taken away and it made its way into the final product.

As for Knighthood Ideals, I was writing chapter two when I hit a specific scene that sort of just went in a direction that I wasn’t sure I liked. In the end I scrapped it. Why? I’ll get there.

Now some of you will want me to explain – “At what point do I let the story take me down a different direction, or do I reign it in and change it?” 

Well, the fact of story writing comes down to questions. Huge questions, albeit simple questions. 

“What do I want to happen?” is a super huge question you should always ask yourself when you’re writing a story. If your endgame is for, say, i.e Levi to end up running after Mikasa, but just barely misses her for angst reasons, then you can’t just have him run after her when they’ve barely met. 

We’ve got a beginning, and we have an idea for the end. but what will set in stone the pathway to that angst-ridden ending is if you set it up accordingly in the middle. 

I call these milestones. I usually write these on my journals/evernote list. I always list a huge series of ideas that could potentially get me there. Sometimes it helps sometimes it doesn’t. But the important thing is knowing that if you are writing something that isn’t getting you anywhere close to your endgame, you’ll need to make a choice –do you scrap the scene? or do you scrap the endgame? 

The more you become confident in your craft, the better off you’ll be less sorry for making those choices. :) (whew got away from me there)

19. Why did you start writing?

Stories are my lifeblood dude. Are we not creatures of intelligence because of our ability to tell stories? The fact we can pass on histories through language is marvelous to me. The fact that there are stories that can not only save lives, but shape them… that gives me purpose. I started writing because it felt good to me, it felt good to escape in a world of my making–even if not all of it belonged to me. I didn’t realize how much I truly loved it until I received a message from a person that one of my stories helped them refrain from committing suicide. If I can keep many other peoples from doing the same with my work, then that’s a good enough reason. 

20. 4 sentences from your work that you’re proud of

“He was a soldier. Obeying orders had become an instinct necessary for survival; a code in his skin, veins, and blood. Obeying laws, on the other hand, wasn’t.”  -  Thunder Clouds Ch. 2 

“So here they were. Two strangers who shared skin and burdens like two pieces of the same soul and exchanged cries and moans that should have ripped others apart, but made him feel something of a hero, made her feel something close to human.” - Nimbus (Ch.14) XIV

I have a few others but these are my current favorites. :)

Hitmen - Rivamika

“The Ackerman Duo,” Pixis gestured with a jerk of his chin. “Despite what their shared surname could imply, there are few who are as perfectly matched as these two. Their streak in success is above the highest in our database, and their shared ruthlessness puts them as the most dangerous couple on the planet.” 

Moblit shuddered, swallowing thickly as he watched the duo charge in perfect synchronization toward their target. Had he blinked, he would’ve missed seeing them rip through the practice dummies, like lightning and thunder. 

“Don’t be so alarmed,” Pixis chuckled. “While they are the best we have to offer, they are not completely unapproachable. But if you must meet with either of them, be sure the other is in the same room.” 

“That level of co-dependency could be alarming,” Moblit replied, feeling uncertain as he watched the girl, Mikasa, approach her partner. The two shared a short conversation, hidden behind the thick glass that separated spectator from assassins. Levi rose a hand, gently brushing aside a stray lock of hair that fell over her face. Mikasa accepted the touch with an almost reverent bow of her head.

“Not at all,” Pixis’ amusement burst in a short laugh. Moblit tore his gaze from the couple within the practice ring to watch the Don saunter off. “It’s merely the easiest way to get a word out of both of them without losing an arm.” 

I love this but I also am a little confused being a yatori and ereri shipper

So it seems Mikasa’s family branched off from Levi’s before his great grandfather’s generation. So, this confirms they aren’t closely related.

Above Grandfather Ackerman: Main Family （down to “Grandfather” but he has no name) To the left of Main Family: Branch Family (down to “Mikasa’s father” and he has no name either)

Under the Main Family category: Big Brother “Kenny” and Little Sister “Kuchel”, later down to her son Levi 

Text connecting Levi and Mikasa: Into the Survey Corps

It is very clear that the Branch Family breaks away from the Main Family a long time ago, even longer before Grandpa Ackerman (see the “~” sign). 

I’m sure a lot of you noticed the recent hate in the tags. Personally, I would give it a pass for being wrongly tagged (because the tagging rules vary across fandoms) but the personal nature of the tagged hate, what with it being aimed at the shippers, makes it, well, personal.

Haters gonna hate and trying to get your point across is futile most of the time but for the sake of the argument, let’s take a look at the issue of age difference properly. I have been shipping couples with large age differences (going from ten to as much as hundreds of years - in the franchises with supernatural elements) for a very long time which is why I feel considerably qualified to tackle the topic.

The first thing we are going to establish is the context. To reduce any relationship between two characters to just one thing - in this case the age difference - is to make a disservice to the said relationship. So we are going to take a look at the issues facing couples with big age differences (AD) in general and then we’ll look at how these things apply to Levi and Mikasa.

I am not going to take any age of consent laws into consideration for one simple reason. Those laws vary from country to country. Some countries have it set at 15, others at 16, still others at 18. With such a wide scope, arguing that the legality supercedes morality makes no sense when it’s the other way around. The morality is superior to legality. We won’t be looking at the laws, we’ll be looking at the reasons behind those laws.

The main reason why the relationships where one party is significantly older than the other are looked at warily is the power imbalance. In general, it’s a simple fact that someone who’s 15 hasn’t had as much life experience as someone who’s 30. This difference in life experience is what creates the power imbalance in the relationship that is heavily slanted towards the older partner.

But even in our world, there are big differences in how much life experience the younger people have. A 15 year old from a well-to do family whose biggest concern is doing well at school and/or getting a date is going to have less life experience than a 15 year old who has to get a part-time job to help out their single parent with bills.

One of the pro-arguments for fictional AD relationships is that they often take place in a setting that is inspired by a historic period and that “it was normal back then”. But do you know why it was considered a norm back then (and even then not in every case)? Because the environment and the economical, political and social factors contributed to people growing up (mentally) faster. People became adults, with the responsibilities and duties of such, at a younger age because they had no choice in the matter.

With all that theory out of the way, let’s look at Levi and Mikasa. Personally, I go for the 20 years of age difference between them, with Mikasa being 15 and Levi 35 when they meet (considering how much time passed in the manga already, soon they will both be turning 16 and 36 respectively).

The world of Shingeki no Kyojin is one of those settings where we can apply “they grow up faster” reasoning. Just look at the fact that the minimal recruitment age is 12 and at 15, people are considered full-fledged soldiers capable of making decisions about their future. The moment we bring our world morality into this, we have to condemn the whole system. And yet I don’t see many posts about child soldiers or pointing out how killing off 13 year olds is something normal for the military (the cutting of the support ropes in the training). But it’s all morality this and that when it comes to shipping. Hypocritical much, fandom?

Anyway, do I think that if a romantic relationship formed between Levi and Mikasa at the present point in the manga (unlikely, mostly because romance is the last thing any of the characters consider at the moment), would it be wrought with a power imbalance (aside from the one inherent in their working relationship as a superior officer/subordinate, although that is an issue with all of Levi’s ships, with the exception of Hange and Mike)? No, I don’t.

Mikasa’s life experience is far harsher than normal for even the SnK world. She can be considered an adult, and not because of some shipping wish fullfillment, but because she has already lived through so much.

I mentioned several times on this blog that one of the reasons why the relationship between Levi and Mikasa appeals to me is how Mikasa takes absolutely no shit from him and calls him out when he’s being an asshole. I don’t see that changing any time soon.

I don’t see their AD as a possible issue in their hypothetical romantic relationship, mostly because their character development has been progressing towards a mutually beneficial partnership of two equals.

The power imbalance stemming from their military positions has been shown to be negligible as well.

For anyone who is looking for some anime with LGBT+ protagonists/themes, but isn’t fond of the Yaoi/Yuri genres.

Revolutionary Girl Utena

This show follows 14-year-old Utena Tenjou at Ohtori academy. Her goal is to ‘become a brave and noble prince who rescues princesses.’ She meets and befriends Anthy Himemiya, who, at first glance, seems to be a damsel in need of rescuing. But the reality is far more complicated than that.

This series deals with abusive relationships, sexuality, gender roles, feminism, and many, many other themes. It’s also very heavy on symbolism, metaphors, and subtle storytelling, so it’s really one-of-a-kind.

Watch it Here

No.6

No, this anime is not about grumpy dog sitters. Although that would be cool too. 

No.6 takes place in and around a seemingly Utopian city called No.6. The story follows two boys named Shion and Nezumi. Shion grew up as an elite citizen of No.6, and slowly realizes how messed up his city is. Nezumi lives in the slums outside of No.6, and has known exactly how bad it is from the beginning. They both have massively different ideals, but they agree on one thing: No.6 has to go.

Also, there is romance.

If you’re interested,

Watch it Here

Read the English translation of the novels it was based off of Here

Shinsekai Yori

Set 1,000 years in the future, where all humans now possess psychic powers. This story follows Saki Watanabe and her friends living in the seemingly idyllic town of Kamisu 66. But when kids keep disappearing, and no one will talk about them, they try to find out what’s really going on and uncover unimaginable secrets along the way.

This one is super interesting. It’s got some of the greatest world building and storytelling I’ve ever seen in anime. Also, four out of the five main protagonists are queer.

Watch it Here

Hourou Musuko

This story follows a trans girl named Shuichi Nitori and her friends through their first year of middle school. It deals with gender identity, sexuality, and just life in general.

This one is really good. I mean REALLY good. I think everybody should watch it. The artwork is beautiful, the characters are amazing, and the story is one of the most real and heartfelt I’ve ever seen.

Watch it Here

Aoi Hana/Sweet Blue Flowers

Yeah, I know this is a yuri anime, but it definitely deserves a spot on this list. Aoi Hana follows childhood friends Fumi Manjome and Akira Okudaira through their first two years of high school as they figure out their sexualities, navigate relationships, and deal with coming out of the closet.

It’s really sweet.

Watch it Here

Neon Genisis Evangelion

You’ve probably heard of this one. Set 15 years after alien creatures known as Angels attack earth, and organization called NERV recruits several teenagers to pilot giant bio-machines called Evangelions to protect earth against the next series of attacks. It deals heavily with mental illness and the protagonist is a 14-year old bisexual boy.

Bungou Stray Dogs (文豪ストレイドッグス)

It’s literally… steampunk SnK.

Same studio, same music composer (Hiroyuki Sawano).

Same premise as well. Except this time, people are stuck in an iron fortress.

The kicker? 

Eren’s seiyuu, Yuki Kaji, is voicing the main character.

Upcoming “Spring anime 2016“ you should be looking forward + highly anticipated ones.